Grocery shopping with special dietary restrictions can be challenging, and for Muslims, finding products that are halal-certified is no different.
Unless a store is geared toward Muslim shoppers and halal standards, you must examine each product very carefully.
Aldi has taken on a lot of different diets, including vegan and gluten-free, even with their smaller store sizes and comparably limited stock. But is Aldi meat halal? Here is what you need to know before shopping.
Is Aldi Meat Halal?
Aldi meat is not halal in the United States, and none of Aldi’s products are halal certified, though their website claims that some items are halal suitable. Abroad, Aldi does sell halal suitable meat, particularly in Australia, but shoppers in the U.S. will have to go elsewhere to have their halal meat needs met.
To find out why Aldi doesn’t have their products halal certified, what items might be halal suitable, and where you can get your halal meat instead, see below!
Why Isn’t Aldi Meat Halal?
Aldi is known for its no-frills shopping experience, and for this supermarket chain, efficiency wins the day.
While Aldi hasn’t made an official statement on why they do not carry halal meat, if I had to guess, it would be because offering halal-certified products requires additional steps in the manufacturing process, while Aldi is all about streamlining.
It is curious to note, however, a growing trend in grocers, which is that they carry halal meat but do not advertise it as such.
According to a 2018 article on NPR.com, “When it comes to serving halal, some retailers may be doing it, but don’t trumpet that fact — at least in the United States.”
So there is a real possibility that Aldi could be selling halal meat (at least in some stores, depending on their sourcing), but without being present at the farms where the animals are slaughtered, there is no way of knowing for sure.
Will Aldi Ever Sell Halal Meat?
That same article from NPR cites one pretty illuminating fact: Islam could become the second-largest religious group in the U.S. before we hit mid-century.
With such a large population of Muslims, areas in particular that have a large population of them would do well to offer foods that meet their dietary needs.
For this reason, as well as their ongoing expansion in the U.S., I think one day, Aldi will offer halal meat in their stores. Unfortunately, for now, though, that is probably some years away.
Is Anything At Aldi Halal?
Unfortunately, Aldi does not sell anything that indicates whether an item is halal or not, so shoppers looking for those types of items will have to vigilantly check labels.
Their website states:
While there may not be a halal-specific section in our stores, we do stock several items that meet halal requirements. We encourage our customers looking for halal foods to review the ingredients and product information on any of the items they are choosing to ensure the product meets their requirements.
However, despite a considerable amount of research, I have been unable to locate the “several items” to which they refer, so for now, Aldi does not carry any products which can be reliably deemed halal suitable.
What Is Halal?
“Halal” translates to “permissible,” and so Halal guidelines refer to food that has been prepared in a permissible manner, as dictated by the laws of Islam.
Where meat is concerned, it cannot be cut from the hindquarters, and Muslims cannot consume pork.
Check out TheKitchn.com for an excellent overview of the other guidelines for halal meat.
Where Can You Buy Halal Meat Instead?
Unfortunately, if you do not live in an area with a large Muslim community, it can be very difficult to find halal meat.
If you do, however, you can check out the following stores:
- Walmart
- Tops Markets
- Hy-Vee
- Pathmark
- E. Butt Grocery
- Cub Foods
These stores carry a variety of halal meat, fresh and frozen, as well as Halal-certified brands like Crescent Foods.
But again, these are only select stores in select areas that have shown a steady need for halal meat, so it is important to do your research before shopping.
Find an online guide or talk to someone at the store to make sure the food meets your dietary standards.
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on where does Aldi beef comes from, where does Aldi gets their chicken, and where Aldi milk comes from.
Conclusion
In just six years, the amount of money spent on halal food in the U.S. rose 33 percent, so we will likely see more grocery stores widening their selections.
While Aldi does not sell halal-certified or halal suitable meat in their U.S. stores (at least with any certainty), it would be very surprising – with the company having its finger on the pulse of food trends – if they did not begin selling it in the coming years.
