Halal Yogurt Brands in the USA

What makes a yogurt halal or not?

Plain cultured milk is fine. Two added ingredients decide the rest.

Gelatin is the main one. Many yogurts that are not Greek, and many "light" yogurts, add gelatin to make them thicker. If the gelatin comes from pigs, it is haram. If it comes from beef, it is halal only when the cattle were slaughtered the zabiha way. Some brands use kosher gelatin. Kosher is not the same as zabiha, and labels often do not name the animal. Scholars disagree about whether kosher gelatin counts as halal, so those yogurts are a "depends." Strained Greek yogurt is thickened by removing liquid, and plain versions have no added gelatin.

Carmine (E120) in fruit flavors. Some strawberry and cherry yogurts use carmine for their red color. Carmine is made from insects. When it is used, it is named on the label.

Not the problem: yogurt is made with bacterial cultures, not rennet, so the rennet question that applies to cheese does not apply here. Plain strained Greek yogurt is about as clean as yogurt gets.

How can you check any yogurt yourself?

• Choose plain strained Greek yogurt, such as Chobani, Fage or Siggi's. Their plain cups list only milk and cultures.
• On yogurts that are not Greek or are light, check for gelatin. If it is there, check whether the maker names the animal and the certification.
• On strawberry and other fruit flavors, check for carmine (E120).
• Flavored cups can add natural flavors or vitamin D3, whose sources are rarely stated.
• A halal mark confirms both the gelatin source and the color.

Frequently asked questions

Is yogurt halal?

Plain yogurt and strained Greek yogurt are halal by ingredient. They are made with bacterial cultures, not gelatin or rennet. The things to check are added gelatin, which is in many yogurts that are not Greek and in light yogurts, and carmine, which is in some fruit flavors.

Which yogurts are gelatin-free?

Plain strained Greek yogurts and skyr, such as Chobani, Fage and Siggi's, list only milk and live cultures. Oikos Triple Zero also has no gelatin. Flavored cups can differ, so read the label.

Is the gelatin in Yoplait halal?

Yoplait says its gelatin is kosher-certified, but it does not say which animal it comes from. Yoplait also says many of its products, including Yoplait Original, are halal, but it does not name a halal certifier. Kosher is not the same as zabiha, so treat it as a "depends," based on your own view, not as a clear yes.

Do any yogurts contain carmine?

Some do, mainly strawberry and other red fruit flavors that use carmine (E120) for color. It is listed in the ingredients when it is used, so check the label on colored fruit yogurts.