isithalal.food

Is Beef jerky Halal?

It depends on where you bought it.

Market-dependent
Medium confidence About this ruling

About this ruling

Condition
Certification and products vary by market
Evidence confidence
Medium means the sources are named, but they do not pin the evidence to a specific market or product. Use this page as orientation, then read the pack in your hand.
How we score High, Medium, and Low

Reviewed

Beef jerky is beef that has been marinated and dried, so its Halal status follows the beef, not the snack.

Next step Beef jerky is Halal only when the beef came from a cow slaughtered the Halal way. Look for a Halal mark on the pack. Jack Link's says its US and Canadian jerky is not Halal-certified and its Australian products are no longer certified; some of its European packs carry the FAMBRAS Halal Brazil mark. How to verify
Scan a label

Photo: methTICALman · CC BY 2.0

How to verify

  1. Look for a Halal certifier's mark on the pack.
  2. Jack Link's in the US and Canada: not certified, per Jack Link's.
  3. Jack Link's in Europe: check the back of the pack for a Halal logo such as FAMBRAS.
  4. Read the marinade for wine, pork or gelatin.
  5. Homemade jerky is Halal when you start from Halal beef.

Quick checks

  • Halal mark on the pack?
  • Jack Link's US, Canada, Australia: not certified.
  • Marinade free of wine and pork?

What decides the answer

  • Homemade jerky from Halal beef

    Halal

  • Pack carries a Halal certifier's mark

    Halal for that product

  • Jack Link's in Australia

    no longer Halal-certified, per Jack Link's

  • No Halal mark and no maker statement

    treat the beef as not verified

  • Jack Link's sold in the US or Canada

    not Halal-certified, per Jack Link's

Why this ruling

Beef jerky is beef cut into strips, marinated and dried. Wild West's jerky, for example, is made with 165 g of beef for every 100 g of finished jerky, marinated in demerara sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and spices, with sodium nitrite as a preservative.[5]

The Halal question is the beef

Cattle are a Halal animal, and drying the meat does not change that. What matters is the slaughter: the Qur'an says, "do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned".[1] A jerky label lists beef but cannot tell you how the cow was slaughtered, so a Halal certifier's mark on the pack is what answers the question. The marinade rarely adds a problem, but read it for wine, pork or gelatin.

Jack Link's answers directly. For products sold in the US and Canada, "the products are not certified Halal or Kosher"; elsewhere, it says, check the back of the package.[2] Jack Link's Australia says its products "are no longer Halal certified".[3] In Europe, some Jack Link's jerky made in Brazil carries the FAMBRAS Halal Brazil logo next to the Brazilian inspection mark.[4] See Jack Link's for the brand in full, including its pork snacks and biltong.

Without a Halal mark

If the pack has no Halal mark and the maker says nothing, treat the beef as not verified. Jerky made at home from beef bought from a Halal butcher, with a marinade that has no wine, is Halal. For other cured and cooked beef, see Deli meat and Corned beef.

Where you'll find it

  • High-protein snack
  • Travel and hiking food

Frequently asked questions

Is beef jerky Halal?
Only when the beef is. Jerky is marinated, dried beef, so it is Halal when the cow was slaughtered the Halal way, which a Halal mark on the pack confirms. Without a mark, the slaughter is not verified.
Is Jack Link's beef jerky Halal?
Not in the US, Canada or Australia: Jack Link's says its US and Canadian products are not certified Halal and its Australian products are no longer Halal certified. Some Jack Link's jerky sold in Europe, made in Brazil, carries the FAMBRAS Halal Brazil mark, so check the back of the pack.
Is Wild West beef jerky Halal?
Its ingredient list, photographed in 2017, names beef with soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and spices and makes no Halal claim. Without a Halal mark on the pack, treat the beef as not verified.
Can I make Halal beef jerky at home?
Yes. Start with beef from a Halal butcher and use a marinade without wine or other alcohol; the drying does not change the ruling.

Scholarly view

Cattle are Halal animals, and drying does not change the ruling on the meat. The question is the slaughter: the Qur'an forbids eating what was not slaughtered in Allah's name. A Halal certificate settles that for the products it covers; without one, the buyer has no way to check the slaughter from the label.

Sources

Named Islamic, certifier, manufacturer, and regulatory sources used on this page. Inline markers like [1] jump here. Retrieval dates show when we last checked the live URL. Editorial methodology.

Islamic / scriptural

  1. Qur'an 6:121

    Retrieved

    'And do not eat of that upon which the name of Allah has not been mentioned.'

Manufacturer / product

  1. FAQs — Are your products Halal or Kosher?

    Jack Link's Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: United States

    'For products sold in the United States and Canada, the products are not certified Halal or Kosher. Outside the United States and Canada, the best way to find if a Jack Link's product is Halal or Kosher is to check the back of the package.'

  2. FAQs — Are Jack Link's products Halal?

    Jack Link's Australia Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: Australia

    'Are Jack Link's products Halal? Jack Link's products are no longer Halal certified.'

  3. Jack Link's Beef Jerky Sweet & Hot, 40 g (European label)

    Open Food Facts Retrieved

    Pack photo shows the FAMBRAS Halal Brazil logo beside the Brazilian SIF 1690 inspection mark; 'Product of Brazil'; pack © 2019. Ingredients: beef, sugar, sea salt, yeast extract, garlic powder, spices, curing salt, flavourings, onion powder, rosemary extract, citric acid, pineapple powder.

  4. Wild West Original Beef Jerky (barcode 5060030548427)

    Open Food Facts (ingredient list checked on the pack photo) Retrieved

    Jurisdiction: United Kingdom

    Ingredients photo from November 2017: beef (made with 165 g of beef per 100 g of jerky), demerara sugar, water, soy sauce (water, soya beans, salt, vinegar), sea salt, apple cider vinegar, pineapple concentrate, dried garlic, black pepper, dried onion, spices, sodium ascorbate, sodium nitrite.

Browse this topic

Open the parent category hub for more foods in the same group.