Pizza has become one of the favorite fast food of our generation. It is no wonder that many pizza chains have popped up around the globe. Tops Pizza is one such British pizza takeaway chain that is serving the UK foodies since 1988.
The pizza takeaway was established in 1988 and now it has more than 40 stores across the UK. The takeaway pizza chain is very popular among UK customers and individuals from almost every religious and ethnic community enjoy its delicious pizzas.
But unlike many other religious communities in the UK, the Muslim community is very conscious about selecting food. They must eat halal food. In this blog, we will discuss whether Tops Pizza is halal or haram. Just keep reading.
Tops Pizzas
Tops Pizza offers a range of pizza types. What makes a pizza halal or haram is actually its ingredients. If halal ingredients are included in a pizza then it will be halal and if haram ingredients are used then the pizza will be haram.
Generally, the following are the common ingredients of any pizza;
- Flour
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cheese
- Pizza Sauces like Tomato Sauce
- Pizza Toppings
Tops Pizza not only offers pizzas but its long list of menus also includes the following recipes.
- Pizzas
- Sides
- Vegan Foods
- Desserts
- Dips
- Drinks
Is Tops Pizza Halal or Haram?
Generally, the basic ingredients of pizza like flour, salt, and sugar are halal. When it comes to cheese then mozzarella cheese is commonly used in pizzas. The mozzarella cheese may be halal or haram. While producing mozzarella cheese, an animal-based enzyme known as rennet is added to coagulate the milk. The rennet is extracted from pigs, calves, and sheep.
If rennet is extracted from pig then the cheese and therefore the pizza will be haram. But if the enzyme comes from a halal animal that is slaughtered according to the Islamic Zabihah method then the cheese will be halal.
Next pizza sauces may often contain animal extracts. If these animal extracts come from a halal source then there is no objection to using them but if the extracts come from haram sources then the sauce will make the pizza haram.
Tops Pizza uses a variety of pizza sauces like garlic sauce, tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, ranch sauce, salsa sauce, and the like. Make sure none of them contains animal extracts.
Similarly, you can choose a long list of meat toppings. The list of meat at Tops Pizza is an exhaustive one. Tops Pizza offers meat like bacon, spicy pork, ham, meatballs, pepperoni, hot dog, chicken, tandoori chicken, and the like. Besides these, Tops Pizza has also a section of halal meat toppings like halal meatballs, halal pepperoni, halal beef, halal salami, and the like.
So, for a halal pizza, all ingredients must come from halal sources. Tops Pizza gives you the freedom to create a pizza for yourself by opting for ingredients from a long list. For ordering a halal pizza, select only halal ingredients, and when in doubt then either contact the Tops Pizza customer support team or your local Islamic scholar so that you can enjoy a halal pizza.
Islamic Principle of Halal and Haram
Quran has clearly distinguished halal from haram. Allah (SWT), in Surah Al Baqarah, has clarified the halal and haram food for Muslims.
“He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing [its limit], there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.” (Quran 2:173)
(Source of above-cited Quranic Verse: https://quran.com/2/173?translations=84,17,95,101,22,20)
This Quranic verse is the guiding principle for distinguishing halal food from haram in Islam. According to this verse of the Holy Quran, carrion i.e. dead meat, the blood, and swine (pig) meat are haram. And also, if any halal animal is slaughtered and dedicated to other than Allah, then it is haram.
How to Make a Halal Pizza?
The pizza itself is neither halal nor haram but its contents make it halal or otherwise. You can order a pizza from a halal from Tops Pizza or can make one in your home.
For a halal pizza, you have to use halal ingredients like flour, sugar, salt, vegetarian tomato or other sauces, and halal mozzarella cheese. Also, there is a range of halal toppings available in the market. The non-veg halal toppings available in the UK market are;
- Duches Turkey Ham Stamps
- Grande Spicy Beef
- Habibi Chicken Tikka Strips
- Habibi Diced Plain Chicken
- Soliman BBQ Chicken Topping
- Soliman Pepperoni
- Soliman Salami
- Grande BBQ Chicken
Besides these toppings, many others are also available and do remember to look for the halal word on the package when buying any of these toppings.
In Summary
Holy Quran and Sunnah are the two primary sources of guidance for all of the Muslim populace. So, in light of the Quran and Sunnah, for a halal pizza or any other fast food product, all of its ingredients must be halal and must follow the Islamic Zabihah method.
If you are in doubt about any product of Tops Pizza then lookup for its ingredients and any halal certifications. Also, you must seek the help of an established Islamic scholar in your community who can give you proper guidance regarding the subject matter.
