In many cases, religion affects one’s choice of food, and so at Popeyes, religious doctrines sometimes dictate the type of menu item offered to customers across its franchises.
For Muslims, there are those foods they consider Halal and haram. If you are wondering whether Popeyes is halal, keep reading and get enlighted!
Is Popeyes Halal In [currentyear]?
Some Popeyes locations are considered halal, while at the same time, some outlets are not in [currentyear]. Halal means permissible in Arabic and refers to foods that have been prepared according to Islamic law and doctrines. Depending on the locations, some regions are insistent on providing food under the strict guidance of Islamic laws.
To know more about the type of halal food at Popeyes, outlets selling halal food items, and much more, keep reading for more facts!
Is Popeyes Hand Slaughtered Meat Halal?
Hand slaughtered meat is halal according to Muslim’s teaching on haram food items. Popeyes has sold hand-slaughtered halal meat across its 59 southern Ontario stores for over 25 years.
In the past, a group of Muslim restaurant franchise owners has sued fast-food chain Popeyes Louisiana Chicken in court over the right to sell hand-slaughtered halal meat for religious reasons.
The court battle was occasioned by the move made by an Atlanta-based franchise in demanding to replace the chicken supply with machine-killed birds in 14 restaurants.
Ultimately, this move was highly contested.
Is Gravy From Popeyes Halal?
Popeyes gravy is halal in Canadian food chains, whereas the same is not halal in US Popeyes restaurants.
Canada-based-Popeyes fast-foods have crazy fans from the Muslim community, becoming the only halal meat source in the country.
On the flip side, Popeyes outlets in the US are not halal certified.
Does the Popeyes Takeover Mean It Will Stop Serving Halal Chicken?
In the official statement stating the takeover of the Louisiana kitchen, Popeyes brands are unclear on the fate of serving halal after the takeover.
The Canadian new Popeyes will still be managed independently by the US head office making the fate of halal foods unknown.
Currently, the US franchises do not serve halal chicken, and on the other hand, the Toronto base chains are silent on whether the restaurants will remain halal.
In 2011, Popeyes forced several halal franchises to accept machine-killed chicken instead of the hand-slaughtered birds, which according to Islamic doctrine, is not halal.
Moreover, Popeyes brands have turned questions from yahoo in pursuit to get clarification on the future of halal chicken with the new takeover.
The new takeover will also see the restaurant under Canadian ownership, same as corporate groups such as Tim Hortons and Burger King, which are known for serving food that is not halal.
Nevertheless, Popeyes has more than a few devoted fans (Muslim community) in Canada who might want to see the new management continue with the halal products.
Will Popeyes Be Halal in the UK?
Popeyes UK-based fast-food chain’s food items are halal. The Popeyes UK website confirmed this, and FtLion indicates Chicken in Stratford will be Halal with no pork or alcohol contamination.
The UK-based restaurants marinate the chicken for about 12 hours in the Company’s signature blend of Louisiana herbs and spices and then hand-batter to create the famous Popeyes crunch.
The Muslim community accepts the Stratford food chain’s chicken recipe, thus approving the food items in the restaurant as Halal.
What Is Not Halal at Popeyes US?
Predominantly, most food items sold at US-based Popeyes food chains are not halal but rather haram. They include:
- Chicken sandwich
- Restaurant’s gravy
- Rice
- Red beans
Is Popeyes Halal in Canada?
All Popeyes food chains in Toronto, Canada, are halal certified, meaning they sell a halal chicken product.
Achieving a full complaint halal restaurant resulted from endless efforts put forth by the growing Muslim community in Canada.
This was done through the court battles and adhering to Islamic teachings on halal food items.
However, this success has been met with several challenges, such as mislabeling halal food items by the suppliers, contamination, and difficulties in traceability.
To solve these challenges, Muslims in Canada formed the Halal Monitoring Authority of Canada (HMAOC) to help curb the infiltration of haram food into stores and supermarkets.
Every Popeyes in Canada is Halal, including the ingredients used to prepare the restaurant’s spicy chicken products.
Pork, pork byproducts, and alcohol are forbidden items not allowed in the making of halal foods.
Popeyes in Canada use Canola oil for frying instead of the beef fat used in other locations outside Canada. This is one of those strategies to ensure all food items are Halal in Canada.
Additionally, the restaurant’s certificates are usually reviewed to ensure no entry of haram products in the outlets.
What Popeyes Food Is Halal in Canada?
They include:
- All chicken products (Signature Bone-in Chicken & Boneless)
- Gravy
- Marinades
- Rice and red beans
Is Popeyes Halal Worldwide?
Unfortunately, Popeyes is not halal worldwide, but only in a few regions such as Canada and UK, which have seen its Muslim community pushing for its success.
According to Islamic law, regions such as the US use ingredients with traces of pork and gelatin, which are considered haram.
Many Popeyes restaurants use machine-killing methods to prepare their meat, which is against the Muslim traditions of handling animals.
To know more, you can also read our posts on whether or not Popeyes has fish, is Popeyes fast-food, and Chick-Fil-A vs Popeyes.
Conclusion
Halal means permissible in Arabic and refers to foods that have been prepared according to Islamic law. Nevertheless, this tradition is practiced in specific regions of Popeyes and not worldwide.
Therefore, if you are a Muslim and planning to visit the Popeyes fast food, it is advisable to check with your nearest location if they are halal certified to avoid visiting sites with no halal food.
