McDonald’s is one of the largest fast food chains worldwide and serves an array of foods ranging from chicken, beef, fish and dairy products to their famous Filet-O-Fish and Caramel Iced Frappes. McDonald’s is immensely popular among Muslim consumers living in countries and regions where halal certification exists; yet many remain confused whether McDonald’s offers a halal menu.

McDonald’s uses various strategies to ensure its food meets halal guidelines in most countries that offer halal menu options, including using dedicated vats of oil for frying fish and meat separately, in order to prevent cross contamination with forbidden items (haram). At some locations, fish is prepared in one vat while chicken and fries are prepared separately in another vat; alternatively in some countries the fries may even be prepared using certified non-hydrogenated vegetable oil that meets this standard.

McDonald’s does not currently possess a halal certificate in the US, however they have implemented a halal menu in several countries with large Muslim populations. Their menu offers items like chicken McNuggets and the McChicken Sandwich made with beef slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines; furthermore they also serve other halal-certified beef dishes from countries like India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey.

McDonald’s UK has confirmed that its chicken-based meals are not halal as they contain meat from animals slaughtered using non-compliant methods with Islamic dietary laws. Therefore, Muslims living in the UK should refrain from purchasing this type of McDonald’s meal.

McDonald’s Apple Pies do not qualify as halal because their dough conditioners have not been verified as such; however, baked fruit pies with halal ingredients tend to be accepted into diets. McDonald’s McFlurry however can be included as an acceptable halal choice since it does not contain alcohol and non-vegetarian fats and uses vegetarian-approved whey powder in production.

McDonald’s also provides several other halal desserts and beverages, such as their ice cream and coffee, including their Filet-O-Fish. McDonald’s uses milk from cows certified as halal by Malaysia’s Islamic Dairy Federation to make their ice cream halal-compliant, while they offer McFlurrys featuring Cadbury Flake Chocolate, Raspberry Oreo Maltesers Smarties as possible flavors.