Did you try Oreo? Of course, you do. Everyone knows about the dark cookie with the creamy middle.
Someone asked Oreo on Twitter if they were halal and their response sent Muslims everywhere into a major surprize specially it came in the middle of the holy month of Ramadan.
A tweet sent from the official ‘Oreo Cookie’ verified twitter account on Saturday read “Thanks for reaching out! OREO cookies are not halal.”
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In reaction to the astonishing tweet, Muslims around the world began freaking out with the idea that their favorite cookie, one almost everyone has grown up eating, might not be Halal for consumption.
Official clarification comes after panic over Oreo’s tweet:
Oreo Egypt on facebook has said in a statement today to assure you that all of our Oreo products made and sold in the Egyptian market are Halal and fully compliant with local laws and regulations.
On a separate note, Mondelez International spokesperson, Mondelez manufacures, distributes Oreo biscuits across GCC region stated that “Our social media is outsourced and the message [tweet] came in two parts. Only one part was circulated, but the other part clarified in ‘the US and Canada’. The tweet is incorrect and has misled consumers in our part of the world. Oreo products sold in this region are halal and compliant with local laws and regulations.
According to this, Oreo cookies sold out inCanada and the US are not halal. In other countries, the delicious cookies are not just restricted to carn and are for everyone. Despite the fact these cookies contain all the halal ingredients, still, it isnot halal certifiedin many of the countries.
The Original Recipe of Oreo Cookies
According to FDA the cookies does not contain any milk thus it has restricted the brand to use word cream for their delicious white filling. Instead, Nabisco now uses the word‘crème’for its filling.
In the original recipe the cookies, the crème contained pig lard which Nabisco substituted it with vegetable oil in 1997.
It was in 2014 when an American leaked the Oreo recipe to a Chinese company in return of 28 million dollars. He got imprisonment for 15 years. It was then revealed that the white color and creamy texture was due to a harmful food additive,titanium dioxide. It can cause serious tissue and liver damage.
The manufacturers enlist it as artificial flavor vanillin and not titanium dioxide itself. Therefore there is no proper evidence that cookie surely contains this harmful food additive.
As an avid food enthusiast with a deep understanding of culinary intricacies and a penchant for delving into the nuances of food production, I can confidently share my expertise on the intriguing topic of Oreo cookies and their recent controversy surrounding their halal status.
First and foremost, it's essential to address the claim made on Twitter by the official Oreo Cookie account stating that Oreo cookies are not halal. This statement indeed caused a stir among Muslims worldwide, particularly during the holy month of Ramadan. However, it's crucial to rely on concrete evidence and official statements to form a comprehensive understanding.
To quell the panic, Oreo Egypt issued a statement on Facebook, assuring consumers that all Oreo products made and sold in the Egyptian market are Halal and compliant with local laws and regulations. Additionally, a spokesperson from Mondelez International, the company responsible for manufacturing and distributing Oreo biscuits across the GCC region, clarified that the tweet was incorrect and misleading. Oreo products sold in their region are halal and comply with local laws.
Now, let's delve into the historical and ingredient aspects of Oreo cookies. The original recipe of Oreo cookies, according to the FDA, did not contain any milk, leading to restrictions on using the term "cream" for the white filling. Instead, Nabisco opted for the term 'crème' for its filling. In the past, the crème filling contained pig lard, but in 1997, Nabisco substituted it with vegetable oil.
An interesting turn in Oreo's history occurred in 2014 when an American leaked the Oreo recipe to a Chinese company for a substantial sum. This revealed that the white color and creamy texture were attributed to a food additive, titanium dioxide. While some sources label it as a harmful additive that can cause serious tissue and liver damage, manufacturers list it as artificial flavor vanillin, not titanium dioxide itself.
It's essential to note that despite the controversy and concerns over ingredients, the available evidence does not definitively prove the presence of harmful additives in Oreo cookies. As a result, the overall conclusion regarding Oreo's halal status may vary depending on the country and the specific regulations governing food production and certification.
