Are Doritos Halal Or Haram? (UPDATED 2023)

Doritos are the snack of choice for millions of people around the world and these triangular corn-based tortilla chips or crisps come in a variety of enticing flavours. But are Doritos halal friendly?

This article looks into one of the most frequently asked questions regarding snacks that are halal friendly: Which Doritos are halal?

Are Doritos Halal?

The short answer is Yes! All Doritos are made from ground corn and mixed with salt and sunflower oil or vegetable oils, so the base tortilla chips Doritos are, fortunately, 100 percent halal. However, Muslim might avoid some variants as they contain questionable ingredients.

Once the base tortilla chips are done, they are added with seasonings to achieve classic flavors like Doritos Jacked Ranch Dipped Hot Wings, Salsa Verde Doritos, Spicy Nacho, Nacho Cheese, and Cool Ranch, among others.

What Makes Doritos Questionable?

Although many Doritos flavors contain no animal ingredients, there is one questionable ingredient. As per our research, animal enzymes is what makes Doritos chips questionable.

Animal enzymes which are also known as animal rennet, is an an enzyme the food industry uses to prepare cheese by curdling milk. Rennet is extracted by the stomach of a calf or any other animal.

According to IslamQA, the Islamic ruling concerning rennet is that if it is taken from an animal that has been slaughtered according to Shari’ah, then it is pure (tahir) and can be eaten. This is according to the Hanafis, Malikis, Shafi’is and Hanbalis.

As regards eating rennet taken from an animal that dies naturally, or that was not slaughtered in accordance with Shari’ah, according to the apparent meaning of the opinions reported from the majority of scholars among the Malikis, Shafi’is and Hanbalis, it is impure (najis) and should not be eaten.

They base this ruling on the verse (interpretation of the meaning):

“Forbidden to you for food) are: al-maytatah (dead animals – cattle-beasts not slaughtered).”

Surah al-Maidah 5:3

The rennet becomes impure by virtue of the animal’s death, and it is not possible to remove that impurity from it.

Imam al-Nawawi said in al-Majmu’ (9/68):

“The ummah has agreed that it is permissible to eat cheese so long as it is not mixed with anything impure, such as adding rennet from a source that is not halal because it was not slaughtered according to shari’ah. This ijma’ (scholarly consensus) is the evidence for its permissibility.”

The second view, which is that of Abu Hanifah and is one of two opinions narrated from Imam Ahmad, is that rennet from dead animals or animals that were not slaughtered according to Shari’ah is still tahir (pure).

This is the opinion which Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah thought most correct in al-Fatawa (21/102), where he said:

“It is more likely that their (the Zoroastrians’) cheese is halal , and that the rennet and milk of dead animals is tahir (pure).”

Elsewhere in al-Fatawa (35/154) he said:

“With regard to the cheese made with their (some of the kafir Batini groups’) rennet, there are two well-known scholarly opinions, as is the case with the rennet from animals slaughtered by the Zoroastrians and Christians, and rennet from dead animals, of whom it is said that they do not slaughter their animals properly.

The schools of Abu Hanifah and Ahmad, according to the other of his two opinions, say that this cheese is halal, because the rennet taken from dead animals is tahir (pure), according to this view, and because the (enzymes in) rennet do not die when the animal dies (so, the concept “impure containers don’t cause the contents of the container to become impure by contact” ) applies.

The schools of Malik, al-Shafi’i and Ahmad, according to the other of his two opinions, state that this cheese is najis (impure), because the rennet is impure according to this view, as they see the milk and rennet of dead animals as impure.

In cases where meat is classified as impure because it is not slaughtered properly, the meat is regarded as being the same as dead meat.

Both opinions are based on reports narrated from the Sahabah.

The first group states that the Sahabah used to eat the cheese of the Zoroastrians, while the second group states that the Sahabah used to eat what they thought was the cheese of the Christians.

With regard to this issue, the follower (ordinary Muslim) must follow an ‘alim who advises him to follow either of these two opinions.”

Source: IslamQA

Which Doritos Are Halal?

Four out of the twenty-one variants are 100% halal Doritos flavors that use no animal products.

And trust us, they’re just as delicious as the classic Ranch and Cheese flavors, so you won’t feel like you’re missing out on anything.

The Chilli Heatwave Doritos, which are sold in the UK, are perfect for halal people. Unfortunately, this variant is not sold anywhere else.

Halal Doritos

The following Doritos flavors are 100% halal friendly.

1. Blaze Doritos

Blaze Doritos ARE halal because they contain no animal-based ingredients.

Check out blaze Doritos on Amazon to have it delivered to your home.

2. Doritos Toasted Corn Tortilla Chips

Doritos Toasted Corn Tortilla Chips ARE halal because they contain no animal-based ingredients.

3. Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos

Spicy Sweet Chili Doritos ARE halal because they contain no animal-based ingredients.

Check out Doritos Spicy Sweet Chilli on Amazon to have it delivered to your home.

4. Doritos Salsa Verde Flavored Tortilla Chips

They are Halal because they do not contain any cheese or animal enzymes.

Here, we’ll list down all the other available Doritos flavors below:

FAQ

Is Doritos Sweet Chili Heat Halal?

Yes, Doritos Sweet chili heat is halal because it contains not animal-based ingredients.

The ingredients of Doritos Sweet chili heat are: Corn, Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil), Salt, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Fructose, Sodium Diacetate, Soy Sauce (Soybean, Wheat, Salt), Onion Powder, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Garlic Powder, Torula Yeast, Malic Acid, Extractives of Paprika, Spices, Caramel Color, Disodium Inosinate, Disodium Guanylate, Dextrose, and Natural Flavor.

Is Doritos Hot Corn Halal?

Yes, Doritos Hot Corn is halal because they contain no animal-based ingredients.

Are Cool Ranch Doritos Halal?

Yes, cool ranch Doritos is considered halal as they do not contain any haram ingredient. However, they countian questionable ingredients including ​cheese.

Are Blue Doritos Halal?

Yes, blue Doritos is considered halal as they do not contain any haram ingredient. However, they countian questionable ingredients including ​cheese.

Are Red Doritos Halal?

Yes, red Doritos is considered halal as they do not contain any haram ingredient. However, they countian questionable ingredients including ​cheese.

Is BBQ Doritos Halal?

Yes, BBQ Doritos is halal because they contain no animal-based ingredients.

Does Doritos Have Pork?

No, Doritos does not have pork. Many people mistakenly believe that pork is an ingredient in Doritos.

This is not true; while some flavors of Doritos may contain animal-based ingredients, such as beef or chicken flavoring, none of the products have pork.

However, it’s essential to read labels carefully if you avoid animal products for dietary reasons.

Official Ingredient List for Doritos Products: The official ingredient list for all varieties of Doritos includes cornmeal, vegetable oil (soybean and cottonseed), salt, cheddar cheese (milk, cheese cultures, salt enzymes), maltodextrin (corn derived), monosodium glutamate (MSG) and natural flavorings.

All of the ingredients and nutritional information can be found on the Doritos website.

Can Muslims Eat Doritos?

Yes, Muslims can eat Doritos because they do not contain any prohibited ingredients.

Are Doritos halal in UAE, Pakistan, and India?

It’s important to note that the ingredients and manufacturing processes used to make a specific product can vary by country, so it’s always best to check the product packaging or contact the manufacturer directly to determine if a product is halal in a specific region.

Summary

While the majority of the Doritos flavors contain cheese, there are Doritos flavors that contain no questionable ingredients.

According to scholars, whether you know the source of the rennet and that it comes from an animal that was slaughtered properly or otherwise, or you do not know, there is nothing wrong with eating cheese that has been made with it.

• See also Is Chick Fil A Halal In USA, Dubai And UK?
• Is Popeyes Halal?

This post is primarily interested in the markets of the United States and Canada. Other Muslim countries have laws that require only halal products to be served.