Tyson Chicken is one of the United States’ largest producers of chicken but is Tyson chicken halal?.
They sell everything from frozen chicken nuggets to raw chicken thighs to whole chickens!
Most people will recognize the red logo which appears in practically every grocery store. And they have been featured in many documentaries about their farming practices.
Tyson is known for their juicy, fat chicken meat that kids and adults alike love.
Every year, Tyson produces more than 200 million pounds of chicken meat for the US food market.
As of 2021, they were the second-most successful food and beverage company in North America.
But is Tyson chicken halal? Is Tyson chicken nuggets halal? You can find answers to all of these questions below, plus some information on what halal means and other places to buy some tasty halal meat.
Tyson does not produce any halal products. None of their products go through the necessary process and rituals to be halal.
What Is Halal?
The word ‘halal’ means lawful or permitted in Arabic. Many foods are inherently halal, like fruits and vegetables.
Meats are not halal unless the animal slaughter is done properly.
Items that are not halal are called Haram, which means unlawful.
The proper animal slaughter technique is called dhabiha, in which all of the animal’s blood is drained from the throat at once.
As this occurs, the Muslim completing the slaughter must recite the tasmiya or shahada as a dedication to the animal.
Note: Halal is similar to the Jewish practice of Kosher food, but Kosher practices can be more restrictive.
Is Tyson Chicken Halal? Tyson’s History With Halal
Once upon a time, Tyson claimed to sell halal meat.
But after Muslims investigated their slaughtering practices, it was deemed unacceptable by Islamic law.
While the animals were slaughtered in the correct place, it was done by machine, which is unacceptable.
Tyson also played Islamic prayers over a stereo in their factories to satisfy the dedication requirement of halal practices. Also an unacceptable method.
They no longer claim to offer halal meat after Muslims accused them of sullying the ritual and falsely advertising the factory-made meat as halal. But they may start selling real halal meat one day.
It’s hard to know for sure, but at the beginning of 21, Tyson entered a bid to buy 49% of Malayan Flour Mills Berhad, a Malaysian food company that produces halal chicken.
This purchase would allow them to sell halal meat without creating halal factories in the US.
How to Tell If Food Is Halal
Companies that produce halal food that follow the Islamic guidelines of preparation typically have the halal logo on their packaging and containers.
This logo means the product was certified halal and is permissible to eat in Islamic culture.
The logo can vary slightly but will always have integral halal characters.
Note: Familiarize yourself with the halal logo, so you know what to look for in the grocery store.
Halal Alternatives to Tyson
If you’re disappointed that Tyson doesn’t offer any halal products, don’t worry, there are plenty of other chicken suppliers you can turn to.
Many of these are lesser-known companies, so you may not see them in every grocery store or market.
But most offer delivery and will ship anywhere in the United States.
Save one or more of these companies, so you can access fresh and delicious halal chicken whenever you need it!
Note: Most halal meat is sold by Muslim-owned and operated companies or butchers.
Unlike Tyson, the massive US meat seller Perdue does follow appropriate halal practices.
Perdue
They offer plenty of halal-certified meat across the country, available in many grocery stores.
Perdue halal meat is certified by third-party entities, so you can trust the logo on the container.
They offer chicken breasts, whole chickens, chicken drumsticks, chicken legs, chicken breasts, chicken tenderloins, and more, all halal-certified.
They even have halal frozen chicken fingers and halal chicken patties!
Note: There’s a handy filter on their website, so you can view all halal-certified meat at once.
Halal Butcher Store
The Halal Butcher Store is one of the more well-known online places to find halal meat.
Many Muslims order their meat from this store because they have decent prices, transparent practices, and delicious cuts of meat.
They have a wide array of options for chicken cuts, as well as plenty of other meats like beef, lamb, and goat. And they also sell yummy halal pizza.
Boxed Halal
Boxed Halal is a butcher company that works very hard to be transparent about its halal process.
They also promise customers that the animals are well taken care of until the slaughter.
They sell all cuts of chicken, plus they make chicken hot links, which are like hot dogs but with chicken!
But they only sell raw cuts of meat, so if you want halal chicken nuggets or patties, you’ll have to find them elsewhere.
Fitrah Farms
All meat products sold by Fitrah Farms are halal hand-slaughtered following the correct process.
They strive to offer a large inventory of meat that is halal-certified.
You can find unique meats here, such as cornish game hens, chicken liver, and chicken feet.
Fitrah Farms is ideal if you want to order a large amount of halal meat, as they can ship a lot and offer you generous discounts on big orders.
Zabiha
For all of your halal needs, not just chicken or meat, you can search restaurants and grocery stores on Zabiha!
They list a wide array of halal food, including candy, canned goods, meat, condiments, beverages, and personal products.
You can plug in your location, and they’ll help you find places near you that offer halal meat and other halal items.
Midamar
Midamar exclusively sells halal meat, so you can trust that they follow the halal procedures to a tee.
They have everything from whole-roasted chickens to crispy nuggets to juicy drumsticks to frozen chicken patties.
Midamar is one of the best places to order from for high-quality halal meat.
Where You Can Find Halal Chicken
If you don’t want to order your meat online, you can look for the halal logo in grocery stores and at butcher markets.
Below are a few stores and places where you can find halal meat in person.
- Costco
- Walmart
- Kroger’s
- Butchers
Be careful when shopping at these locations, as they may keep non-halal meat nearby halal meat.
Read the logos and labels closely to ensure you buy the correct product.
FAQs
If you have more questions about Tyson chicken and halal meat, read the frequently asked questions below for more information.
When Will Tyson Make Halal Food?
Some people predict they will sell halal within the next 3-5 years if they purchase the Malaysian company.
Where Can I Buy Halal Chicken Nuggets?
The two best places to find halal chicken nuggets are Perdue and Midamar if you want breaded and frozen chicken nuggets.
Does Tyson Make Kosher-Certified Meat?
At this time, Tyson does not make kosher-certified meat either. All of their meat products are made in non-kosher and non-halal factories with machines.
Final Note
For now, the answer to ‘Is Tyson chicken halal?’, is still a hard no.
Unfortunately, as of 2022, Tyson does not sell any halal products. They realized the mistakes they were making in the practices before and discontinued all halal labels on their products.
Hopefully, one day, they will properly prepare and sell halal meat to its Muslim customers.
But for now, there are still plenty of other places to get your delicious halal meat.
Perdue is one of the more convenient options, but finding a local Muslim butchery will offer you the finest cuts of meat and plenty of transparency surrounding their halal practices.
Halal and zabiha are important and intricate Islamic rituals, and it may take some time for Tyson to find a way to successfully perform these rituals on such a large supply of chickens.