Is itsu Halal?
It depends on what the label says.
itsu, the UK Asian-inspired food chain, answers 'Are your products halal?' in its FAQ: 'Unfortunately, our meat products are not halal certified. Our sushi rice contains rice wine vinegar & our miso soup contains low levels of alcohol, so any products including those ingredients are also not halal.' That covers its chicken and beef dishes, everything with sushi rice, and the miso soups.
How to verify
- Meat dishes: not Halal-certified, per itsu.
- Sushi rice: made with rice wine vinegar; itsu calls it not Halal.
- Miso soup: low levels of alcohol; itsu calls it not Halal.
- Dishes with none of these (no meat, no sushi rice, no miso) need their own ingredient check.
Quick checks
- Meat not Halal-certified.
- Sushi rice: rice wine vinegar.
- Miso soup: low levels of alcohol.
What decides the answer
-
Dishes with sushi rice (rice wine vinegar)
itsu says not Halal; scholars differ on wine vinegar -
Miso soups (low levels of alcohol)
itsu says not Halal; scholars differ on trace alcohol -
Dishes with no meat, sushi rice or miso
read the ingredients -
itsu meat dishes
not Halal-certified, per itsu
Why this ruling
itsu is a UK chain of Asian-inspired food shops whose menu includes sushi and miso soups. Its FAQ gives a direct answer on Halal.
What itsu says
"Unfortunately, our meat products are not halal certified. Our sushi rice contains rice wine vinegar & our miso soup contains low levels of alcohol, so any products including those ingredients are also not halal."[1] So itsu rules out three groups of its own products: anything with meat, anything with its sushi rice, and its miso soups.
Where scholars differ
itsu's view of its rice and miso is the strict one. Vinegar made from wine, including rice wine vinegar, is accepted by many scholars because the wine has become vinegar, while others avoid it. Small amounts of alcohol in foods such as miso raise a similar difference. The meat is a different matter: with no Halal certification, there is nothing to show it was slaughtered Islamically.
If you accept wine vinegar, an itsu sushi box with fish or vegetables only may be acceptable to you; one with chicken or beef is not. For sushi more generally, see Sushi.
Where you'll find it
- Sushi and rice dishes
- Miso soups
Frequently asked questions
Is itsu Halal?
Is itsu chicken Halal?
Is itsu sushi Halal?
Scholarly view
Three separate questions sit inside itsu's answer. Meat that is not Halal-certified carries no Halal assurance. Vinegar made from wine, including rice wine vinegar, is accepted by many scholars because the wine has turned into vinegar, while others avoid it; see the rice vinegar page for that difference.
Miso with a little added alcohol raises the same question as other foods with trace alcohol. itsu itself takes the strictest position on all three.
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.
Manufacturer / product
-
FAQ — Are your products halal?
itsu Retrieved
'Unfortunately, our meat products are not halal certified. Our sushi rice contains rice wine vinegar & our miso soup contains low levels of alcohol, so any products including those ingredients are also not halal.'
People also check
Related ingredients and products for this item.
Browse this topic
Open the parent category hub for more foods in the same group.
