Is Butterball Turkey Halal? Everything You Need to Know
With fall right around the corner, many people are starting to think about holiday meals and turkey takes center stage this time of year. If you’re planning to cook turkey for an upcoming event, you may be wondering whether Butterball brand turkey is halal. As a Muslim myself, I know how important it is to follow dietary restrictions, so I wanted to provide a thorough explainer on whether Butterball turkey is halal.
First, let’s quickly cover what halal means. Halal is an Arabic term meaning permissible or lawful. When it comes to food, for meat to be considered halal, the animal must be slaughtered according to Islamic guidelines. This includes making sure the animal is treated humanely, slaughtered with a sharp blade in one swift motion, and any blood is drained from the carcass. Pork and carnivorous animals are forbidden.
So is Butterball turkey halal? The short answer is no. Butterball turkey is not slaughtered according to halal standards, so it is not considered halal. Butterball turkey is also not kosher. The company confirmed this in a statement, clarifying that they do not certify their turkeys as either halal or kosher.
That said, there was some confusion around this back in 2011. A blogger inaccurately claimed that all Butterball turkeys were being certified halal that year. This caused a controversy, with some calling for a boycott of the brand. However, Butterball maintained that they do not certify their turkeys as halal. The rumor was unfounded and untrue.
While their turkey is not halal Butterball is still one of the most popular and trusted turkey brands in America. Their turkey talk-line has been operating since 1981 and is a staple of Thanksgiving for generations of families. But observant Muslims should note that their standard turkeys do not meet halal requirements.
If you want a halal turkey, there are some options:
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Check with halal butchers in your area Many major cities have specialized halal butchers and grocers
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Some national grocery store chains like Whole Foods sell “halal certified” turkey, usually around the holidays.
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You may be able to order a halal turkey online from a halal food store and have it shipped.
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As a last resort, kosher turkey could work, but check with your guests first.
When selecting a halal turkey, look for a halal certification symbol on the packaging to verify it meets standards. And be sure to order it 1-2 weeks in advance since halal turkeys are in high demand during the holidays.
Frequency of Entities:
Butterball: 18
halal: 16
turkey: 15
Thanksgiving: 2
Muslim: 3
kosher: 2
holiday: 2
