McDonald’s is the biggest hamburger chain in the world, and so it is in Japan. As a global company, many of our Muslim readers may wonder if they have the same Halal standard just like in their own country. If we are asked if McDonald’s in Japan halal or not, unfortunately, we have to say it is not Halal.
Well, you must know that most of them have meat in McDonald’s, but there are some without. Then, can some of them be Halal or at least Muslim-friendly? To answer this question, we have looked into their website to find the answer.
Menu of non-meat products in McDonald’s Japan.
As of May 2023, McDonald’s in Japan offer the following products that do not contain meat.
Filet-o-Fish
Ebi Shrimp File-o
Hotcakes
For Fish and Shrimp Filet-o, there is double portion choice, too.
It seems like it can be a proper lunch set with french fries and a glass of beverage, however, we still have to check the risk of contamination, a risk of products processed along with other haram ingredients.
In McDonald’s official website, there is an allergen list which is quite useful. We can search the products with or without the allergen, as well as the contamination information! This is only available in Japanese, but a list of allergen is provided in English, too.
So, which ones are not contaminated and safe to eat for Muslims?
By selecting the food items that has no meat products or risk of contamination, we found only Pancakes is safe to be consumed by Muslims, along with some twist corn, salad and beverages.
They are genuinely free from meat or contamination, so it can be recommended for Muslims.
What about Fish and Shrimp Filet-O?
You may now wonder Fish and Shrimp Filet-O, or perhaps french fries? Yes, they are free from meat products, but McDonald’s Japan clearly says that they are fried in the same oil that handles meat products.
Pink highlight means beef, which is cooked in the same oil.
Credit: https://www.mcdonalds.co.jp/products/allergy_check/allergy_printresult.html
From this list of items that can be contaminated with meat products, we can find french fries, hash potatoes and apple pie, too. If you would like to avoid the risk of contamination with meat, then fried items should be avoided.
Hotcakes and twist corns are Muslim-friendly in Japan.
As McDonald’s Japan opens all the data where the meat products are produced, we have also checked if the manufacturer have obtained Halal certificate or not. Chicken McNuggets for example, is produced by a manufacturer called Cargill in Thailand. This company has Halal certificate, but we can never tell if the product imported in Japan are using such meat, or the risk of contamination cannot be denied.
Although it is sad to see only few choices are available, it is also a great news that there is at least something Halal or Muslim-friendly products in McDonald’s Japan. Hotcakes is available in the Morning time, called as Asa Mac, but not available at night.
As of May 2023, the Halal or Muslim-friendly products at McDonald’s Japan are as follows:
Hotcakes, apple pie has a risk of contamination
salads
twist corns, except for waffle corn with choco &almond
