How to verify
- Look for a Halal certifier's mark on the pack: the turkey must be Islamically slaughtered, and 'turkey' on the label says nothing about how.
- Mainstream brands are usually not certified: Butterball says its US products are not.
Quick checks
- Turkey, not pork.
- A Halal certifier's mark.
- Mainstream brands: usually not certified.
What decides the answer
-
Turkey bacon with a Halal certifier's mark
Halal -
Turkey bacon without a Halal mark
the turkey is most likely not Islamically slaughtered: not Halal -
Pork bacon
Haram
Why this ruling
Turkey bacon is turkey meat cured, smoked and sliced to look and cook like bacon. It contains no pork.
Is it Halal?
Darul Ifta Birmingham answers the question directly: bacon "is usually from pork but can be from other types of meat such as beef or turkey. Since turkey bacon is made from turkey meat, it will be halal to consume."[2] The name does not decide it; the animal does.
The slaughter condition
Turkey is a lawful bird, but like any poultry it is Halal only when it is slaughtered Islamically.[3] A turkey bacon pack says "turkey", not how the bird was slaughtered, so the deciding detail is a Halal certifier's mark. Mainstream brands are generally not certified: Butterball, for example, said in 2011 that "our domestic products are not halal certified."[4] Certified packs do exist: Midamar's Halal turkey breakfast strips, for example, say "Certified Halal" and list "Halal Turkey" first in the ingredients.[1]
For the bird itself, see turkey; for pork bacon and beef bacon, see bacon.
Where you'll find it
- Breakfast plates and sandwiches in place of pork bacon
- Sold as turkey rashers in the UK
Frequently asked questions
Is turkey bacon Halal?
Is turkey bacon Haram because it is called bacon?
Is Butterball turkey bacon Halal?
Scholarly view
The word 'bacon' does not make a food Haram: bacon is a way of curing meat, and the ruling follows the animal. Turkey is a lawful bird in all four schools, so turkey bacon is permissible in principle.
What it shares with every other poultry product is the slaughter condition: the bird must be slaughtered Islamically, which a supermarket label rarely shows.
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
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Darul Ifta Birmingham Retrieved
'Turkey is a type of bird that is halal to consume... bacon is a type of salt-cured meat, which is usually from pork but can be from other types of meat such as beef or turkey. Since turkey bacon is made from turkey meat, it will be halal to consume.' Written by Alimah Nasima Umm Hamza, checked by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah.
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Is turkey meat halal or haram?
Darul Ifta Birmingham (via IslamQA.org) Retrieved
Maulana Moinul Abu Hamza, checked by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah: turkey, like any other poultry, is halal provided it is slaughtered according to Islamic law (dhabiha).
Manufacturer / product
-
Midamar — Halal turkey breakfast strips
Midamar Halal Retrieved
'Certified Halal', with a link to the certificate. Ingredients begin: 'Halal Turkey, Halal Mechanically Separated Turkey, Water, Sugar, Salt'; the flavouring is listed as natural Halal flavouring.
Context / background
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Were Butterball Turkeys Sold in the United States 'Blessed by Allah'?
TruthOrFiction Retrieved
Quotes Butterball's November 2011 statement: 'Our domestic products are not halal certified.' The article (2015, updated 2021) adds that Butterball certifies some turkeys as Halal for export.
People also check
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