UAE authorities have moved to quell concerns over the content of Oreo biscuits.
A viral post on social media suggested that Oreos are considered to be non-halal due to the presence of alcohol and lard in their ingredients.
UAE authorities including the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and Abu Dhabi’s Agriculture and Food Safety Authority have moved to deny the claims.
UAE authorities on Oreos
In a post on social media the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment (MoCCAE) said: “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.”
It went on to explain that Oreo biscuits do not contain any animal origin ingredients and that the Oreo biscuits had been tested under laboratory conditions.
The MoCCAE also confirmed that Oreos do not contain any alcohol and that further laboratory testing confirmed this.
The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) also moved to give clear and accurate advice about Oreo cookies in the UAE.
In a statement it said: “With reference to the news circulating on social media about a biscuit product Oreo brand, manufactured by the American company Mondelēz International, the published claim that Oreo biscuits contain a percentage of alcohol, ethyl alcohol (ethanol) and that it contains some lard (Pig fat) derivatives, and accordingly, the Oreo biscuit product was considered a non-halal product, this claim is widespread as no substantiated evidence proves the same.”
ADAFSA added: “The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority implements several control systems and programs that include testing representative samples of all food product consignments imported into the Emirate’s markets and verifying their suitability for human consumption before handling them in the markets.
“It further conducts periodic tests of food products on sale in the Emirate’s markets to verify their validity and suitability for human consumption and to verify the ingredients and their sources.
“Such food consignments are not released and allowed to be handled in the Abu Dhabi markets unless it has been ensured that they are safe, comply with all the necessary requirements, and do not contain unauthorized ingredients or sourced from unauthorised.
The rumours began after a 2019 social media message from the official Oreo account resurfaced.
The message appears to say Oreo cookies are not halal, meaning they cannot be consumed by Muslims. At the time media reports in the UAE explained that the tweet went viral with concerned people wanting to know if the biscuits were safe to eat.
Then, as with the latest viral posting, UAE authorities were quick to clarify that Oreos in the UAE are halal.
In a statement on Thursday the MoCCAE called on the public not to spread rumours.
It said: “The Ministry of Climate Change and Environment calls on the public not to circulate any news without verifying its credibility and to communicate with the competent authorities to ensure the validity of the information before circulating it”.
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