Halal Mac and Cheese Brands in the USA

What makes mac and cheese halal or not?

Mac and cheese has two parts. The pasta is made from wheat or chickpeas and has no halal concern. The question is in the cheese sauce.

The cheese enzymes decide it. Cheese is made with enzymes such as rennet, which can come from microbes, plants or a young animal, and US labels usually just say "enzymes." Scholars differ on animal rennet, so we mark unnamed enzymes as "depends"; our guide to halal cheese brands covers rennet in full.

In a box, whey matters as much as the cheese. The sauce in a box is a dry powder, and it often contains whey, the liquid left over from cheese making. In Kraft's sauce mix, whey is the first ingredient. Whey carries the same enzyme question as the cheese it came from, so a box can be doubtful even when its cheese looks clear.

What should you look for on a mac and cheese box?

• Read the sauce part only. The label lists the pasta first and then the cheese sauce mix. The pasta has no halal concern.
• Check two places in the sauce. Look at the cheese, which reads like "cheddar cheese (milk, cheese culture, salt, enzymes)," and look at the whey.
• Check each flavor. White cheddar, shells and microwave cups each have their own ingredient list, so check the one you buy.
• Look for a halal mark. It answers both questions at once.

What are good halal mac and cheese choices?

The clearest choice is a halal-certified box, such as Daiya's plant-based Cheezy Mac, which contains no dairy at all. Goodles says its products are vegetarian and use no animal rennet, though it is not certified. Among classic dairy boxes, Annie's is the most open: its label says its cheddar is made with non-animal enzymes.

Frequently asked questions

Is mac and cheese halal?

It depends on the cheese enzymes. Pasta and milk are halal. Boxed mac and cheese becomes doubtful when its cheese or whey comes from cheese made with animal enzymes, or when the label does not say where the enzymes come from.

Is Kraft Mac and Cheese halal?

It is doubtful: the sauce lists enzymes with no source, and the box has no halal mark. Our Kraft Mac and Cheese page covers what Kraft told a halal research group.

Is Annie's mac and cheese halal?

Annie's is a better choice than most. Its label says its cheddar is made with non-animal enzymes. Its whey and natural flavor sources are not named, so it is not fully clear, and it is not halal-certified.

Is there halal-certified mac and cheese?

Yes. Daiya's plant-based Cheezy Mac is sold as halal-certified and contains no dairy. Check the halal mark on the box, because certification can vary by flavor.

Does boxed mac and cheese contain pork?

Most boxes list no pork. The usual concern is cheese enzymes from animals that were not slaughtered the Islamic way.