Is Halal snack pack Halal?
It depends on what the label says.
A Halal snack pack (HSP) is the Australian kebab-shop dish of hot chips, grated cheese, Halal doner kebab meat, and garlic, barbecue and chilli sauces, as the Macquarie Dictionary defines it.
Photo: David Jackmanson · CC BY 2.0
How to verify
- Ask which supplier makes the doner meat and whether it is Halal-certified; a certificate on display names the certifier.
- Grated cheese: rennet type varies; see the cheese page.
- BBQ sauce: some contain Worcestershire sauce (anchovies, and sometimes other ingredients); see the BBQ sauce page.
- Chips are usually fried in vegetable oil; ask if the fryer is shared with non-Halal items.
What decides the answer
-
Doner meat from a Halal-certified supplier, cheese and sauces checked
Halal -
Shop cannot name its meat supplier or certificate
not verified; ask or choose another shop -
Grated cheese with animal rennet
depends on your view of rennet; see the cheese page -
BBQ sauce with Worcestershire or unlisted flavourings
check the label
Why this ruling
The Halal snack pack, or HSP, is an Australian kebab-shop meal: hot chips, grated cheese and doner kebab meat in a tray, drowned in garlic, barbecue and chilli sauces. The Macquarie Dictionary's readers voted it the People's Choice Word of the Year for 2016, after a social media group devoted to it passed 150,000 members.[1]
The name is not a certificate
"Halal" in the dish's name describes what it is meant to be. Whether a particular snack pack is Halal depends on the shop's doner meat: the animals must be Islamically slaughtered and the meat kept apart from non-Halal products.[2] Ask which supplier makes the meat and whether it carries a Halal certificate. A shop that cannot tell you has not verified it.
The cheese and the sauces
The grated cheese is set with rennet, and scholars differ on rennet from animals not slaughtered Islamically. Garlic sauce is usually garlic, oil and sometimes egg or yogurt. BBQ sauce is the one to check: some contain Worcestershire sauce or other ingredients that need a look. Chilli sauce is usually chillies, vinegar and spices.
The chips
Chips are usually fried in vegetable oil. If the shop fries anything non-Halal, ask whether it uses a separate fryer.
Where you'll find it
- Late-night kebab-shop meal in Australia
- Ordered with garlic, barbecue and chilli sauces
- Variations with chicken, lamb or mixed doner meat
Frequently asked questions
What is a Halal snack pack?
Is a Halal snack pack actually Halal?
What sauces go on a Halal snack pack?
Is the cheese on a snack pack Halal?
Scholarly view
Halal in the name of a dish is a description, not a ruling. Doner meat is Halal only if the animals were slaughtered Islamically and the product is kept apart from non-Halal meat, which is what a recognised certificate attests.
Cheese and sauces follow the usual ingredient checks: rennet in cheese, and anything animal-derived or alcoholic in sauces.
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
-
Quran.com Retrieved
Prohibits carrion, blood, pork, and meat dedicated to other than Allah; animals must be slaughtered.
Context / background
-
'Halal snack pack' is Australia's choice word of 2016
Free Malaysia Today (Bernama, reporting Xinhua and the Macquarie Dictionary) Retrieved
1 February 2017. 'Halal snack pack' (HSP) named the Macquarie Dictionary's People's Choice Word of the Year for 2016. Definition quoted: 'a fast food comprising layers of hot chips, grated cheese, halal doner kebab meat, garlic sauce, barbecue sauce and chilli sauce'. The 'Halal Snack Pack Appreciation Society' social media group had more than 150,000 members.
