UAE Ministry Denies Rumors on Oreo Cookies

UAE's Ministry of Climate Change and Environment dispelled rumors about the cookies containing pork or alcohol.  

“It has been circulated recently that Oreo biscuits are not halal, because they contain pork and alcohol. We inform you that what has been circulating is incorrect,” the ministry's tweet read.

Are Oreo biscuits halal?

It has been circulated recently that Oreo biscuits are not halal, because they contain Pork and alcohol. We inform you that what has been circulated is incorrect. pic.twitter.com/AougeMLeL7

— MoCCAE (@MoCCaEUAE) January 5, 2023

A compulsory laboratory test has confirmed that Oreo cookies do not contain "any animal origin ingredients such as grease and fat”. Furthermore, the ministry has said that "all imported and traded foods are subject to an integrated system of procedures and programmes that ensure the highest food safety standards and conformity with the approved specifications in the country”. 

The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority has seconded the ministry's statement and added that there is “no substantiated evidence” which proves that the cookies manufactured by an American-based company Mondalez contain non-halal ingredients. 

Mondelez Confirms Halal Certification

These statements came out after a tweet from 2019 about Oreo Cookies being non-halal-resurfaced. Some people reached out to the Mondalez company. 

Asalmu alaikum wa Rahmatullah wa baraka..
I asked OREO Customer service whether the Oreo cookies are HALAL OR NOT then I received mail from OREO side with brief explanation... 👇👇👇👇#OreoHalalCertification#OreoisHalalOrNot#oreo pic.twitter.com/X3ICLG7OqN

— IMRAN SHARIF (@Imran_bin_hamed) January 1, 2023

A statement from Mondalez' website reads "Mondelez International is committed to meeting the needs and preferences of our consumers, which can vary from market to market. We consider various factors, including religious food requirements such as kosher or halal, when deciding what to offer consumers in a specific market.” For people's assurance, the statement also included the following "the best thing for consumers to do is to check the ingredients and the label to guarantee the suitability for their diet.”