It's always been a tug of war determining if it's lawful for a Muslim to indulge in most processed foods.
For decades, Cheetos has been one of the best snacks out there. Yummy, crunchy and known for its characteristic taste.
However, would it still be considered best when put under close cultural or religious scrutiny?
After all, what good would that crunchy snack be in your hand if it's not halal?
Because while companies like Chewwies make it a die-hard duty to produce halal foods that do not substitute their halal certification for the pleasant and yummy taste, many others don't.
In this article, we'd be dissecting this corn-flavoured snack to help you make a better decision if it's halal or haram.
Quick Answer: Are hot Cheetos halal? There is no definite answer to this.
While most Cheetos, both the hot Cheetos and regular Cheetos, are non-halal, a handful might be considered halal!
Remember, a Halal diet are strictly foods Muslims are permitted to eat according to the law of Islam.
Summarily, any food with a touch of pork, alcohol, blooded foods, meat from carnivores, animals and animals not slaughtered according to the laws of Islam is considered haram.
Hence any food without these is entirely halal!
Cheetos, a crunchy corn-puff snack often cheese flavoured, is the first of its kind, sold in over 36 countries, and has been around since 1948!
Its composition and flavour often vary to suit regional tastes and cultural preferences!
Why is hot Cheetos haram?
This question depends majorly on the ingredients. If the ingredients are haram, so are the hot Cheetos and vice versa!
Looking at the ingredients used in the production of Hot Cheetos, while it has zero traces of alcohol, we might still have other elements considered haram.
Let's take a step further.
The primary ingredients used to make hot Cheetos are: rice flour, cornmeal, vanilla extract, and cheddar cheese powder.
Cornmeal is the first process for making a hot Cheetos. It involves the blending of corn with water. The corn here has its germ removed to prevent it from spoiling. The corn meal is supplemented by adding nutrients to compensate for lost nutrients. The process is forbidden in Islam.
Therefore making it haram!
The second item on the list, Rice flour and all the processes of mixing, drying, and extruding, are entirely permissible by Islam.
Hence, Halal!
Vanilla extract, These are often used in the making of hot Cheetos.
The vanilla extract could be halal or haram, depending on its production method or ingredients.
Cheddar cheese powder, the last essential ingredient used in the production of hot Cheetos, is prohibited in Islam.
This is because it is made mainly from cow milk which is prohibited in Islam.
The production of cheddar cheese powder involves the presence of an animal enzyme, rennet, from an animal stomach, which might have been mixed with other contaminated items in the stomach, making it non-halal.
Lastly, often the rennet is of pig origin, and anything of a pig is considered impure and impermissible for consumption by Muslims.
Hot Cheetos could be said to be haram by their method of production.
The production method often involves adding artificial colours obtained from insects. And it's unlawful for Muslims to eat insects or genetically modified materials,
Also, when these hot Cheetos are produced with the same machines, haram foods have been made without any form of purifying, though not a law, this could soil the snack.
These processes have been refined in Qatar, and UAE, amongst others, to meet halal certification and rule of the land. However, in countries like the US and Canada, it hasn't.
So one has to be extremely careful, seek out information from manufacturers and always look out for the ingredients.
Conclusion
Deciding if a food item is haram or halal is a controversial one...
Products containing ingredients like whey, cheese, and gelatin could be easily identified as haram.
Whereas, It may not be easy to say the same for others that could be haram by virtue of the additives used or unclear ingredients tagged as natural flavours!
Those lacklustre about halal or haram rules might say it's just additives, but to us, it's more than that.
So, to be safer, choose halal-certified foods or snacks made with legal supplements.
Such foods you can get when you visit our website. We have a list of halal and healthy goodies you can eat without disobeying any dietary restrictions or moral prohibitions.
Alternatives to hot Cheetos
While hot Cheetos might be crunchy, it has little or no nutritional value but would leave adverse health conditions with time.
Chewwies is a kosher or halal-certified healthy product made from natural products.
Every pack is free from all forms of gelatine, alcohol, artificial colours, dairy, artificial colour, or flavours.
Chewwies come in different flavours. Here are some:
These products are non-selective and your best bet at enjoying wholesome goodies without living in guilt.