Are Funyuns Halal? What You Should Know

Are Funyuns halal? Are you a fan of Funyuns but unsure if they are halal? In this blog post, we will take a closer look at the ingredients of Funyuns to determine whether or not they are suitable for those following a halal diet. So, let’s dive in and find out if Funyuns are halal.

Are Funyuns Halal?

Yes, Funyuns chips are halal. The ingredients used to make the Funyuns chips are not considered to be haram (forbidden) by Islamic law. The ingredients used are mostly non-animal based, such as enriched corn meal, vegetable oil, sugar, onion powder, artificial flavor, garlic powder, and do not contain any pork or pork by-products.

First, let’s take a look at the ingredients in Funyuns. According to the Frito-Lay website, the original flavored Funyuns contain the following ingredients:

Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Vegetable Oil (Sunflower, Corn, and/or Canola Oil), and Less than 2% of the Following: Salt, Corn Starch, Sugar, Corn Flour, Buttermilk Powder, Maltodextrin (Made from Corn), Onion Powder, Monosodium Glutamate, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Dextrose, Garlic Powder, Natural Flavors (Including Natural Onion Flavor), and Gum Arabic.

When it comes to determining whether or not a product is halal, one of the main things to look out for is the presence of pork or pork-derived ingredients.

We are glad to inform that, Funyuns do not contain any pork-derived ingredients.

However, it’s important to note that other flavors do contain cheese and enzymes, which are controversial ingredients.

According to Islamic dietary laws, enzymes is considered halal as long as it is derived from halal animals, plant source and is not mixed with any haram ingredients.

There are many types of enzymes; some are meat-based and some are non-meat-based. The Frito-Lay website posts regular updates of which of their products do not contain pork-based enzymes.

• You may also like: Are Cheez Its Halal?

Are Flamin Hot Funyuns Halal?

Yes, Flamin Funyuns are halal. The ingredients used to make the Flamin Funyuns chips are not considered to be haram (forbidden) by Islamic law. The only questionable ingredients are enzymes and cheese.

Flamin’ Hot Funyuns contain the following ingredients:

Enriched Corn Meal (Corn Meal, Ferrous Sulfate, Niacin, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, And Folic Acid), Corn And/Or Soybean Oil, Salt, Corn Starch, Buttermilk, Sugar, Corn Flour, Monosodium Glutamate, Autolyzed Yeast Extract, Sunflower Oil, Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten, Artificial Color (Red 40 Lake, Yellow 6 Lake), Citric Acid, Whey, Onion Powder, Corn Syrup Solids, Lactose, Garlic Powder, Natural And Artificial Flavor, Corn Maltodextrin, Nonfat Milk, Sodium Caseinate, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Diacetate, Extractive of Onion, And Gum Arabic.

Why Would Enzymes Be A Questionable Ingredient In Flamin Funyuns?

From an Islamic perspective, animal rennet can be divided into three categories:

Firstly, the rennet derived from animals that have been slaughtered in accordance with the Shari’ah. There is no difference of opinion that such rennet is completely pure.

Secondly, the rennet derived from permissible animals (e.g., cows, sheep and goats) that have not been slaughtered according to the Sharīaah – for example, a cow that has been killed by a means other than ritual slaughtering (zabh).

With regards to this second category, there is a difference of opinion amongst the classical scholars (manifested in the four madhabs) regarding the permissibility of such rennet.

The opinion of Abu Hanifa, one of the two opinions narrated from Ahmad (and the one chosen by Ibn Qudāmah), and the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah, was that such rennet was pure, hence the cheese derived from it would also be considered pure.

Other scholars, including the relied upon position in the Shaf’i and Maliki schools, is that such rennet is impure, and the cheese derived from it also impure.

Many later Hanafis, disagreeing with Abu Hanifa’s view on this matter, also claimed that such rennet is impure (for some modern fatwas, the reader is referred here).

Thirdly, the rennet derived from impermissible animals, such as pigs. There is no significant difference of opinion that such rennet is impure, as the source of it is impure.

Other Halal-Friendly Alternatives

Here are a few halal-friendly Funyuns alternatives for you to try:

Wise Onion Rings

If you are looking for the perfect halal alternative to satisfy your need for crunchy, onion-flavored rings, look no further. Wise Onion Rings are just the snack you are looking for.

• Sabritones Chile & Lime Puffed Wheat Snacks.
• Fritos Original Corn Chips.
• Lay’s Classic Potato Chips.
• Chomperz.
• Munchos Flamin’ Hot Potato Crisps.