Trader Joe’s isn’t particularly well known for their meat selection. However, they do have a few bits and pieces, and their chicken samosas are divine. But, are Trader Joe’s chicken samosas halal?
It does not appear that their chicken samosas are halal. In fact, while many of the products with Trader Joe’s are kosher, very few are halal. This is something that may change in the future.
Let’s explain in a bit more depth, shall we?
What Is Halal Food?
Halal food is food that is fine to eat under Islamic traditions. Halal is a broad set of guidelines. When most people talk about halal products, they are referring to how meat is processed.
Meat that is processed and labeled as halal will have had an Islamic prayer said over the animal before the slaughter.
Contrary to popular belief, being halal doesn’t mean that an animal isn’t stunned before slaughter. In many cases, they are.
Sadly, there is no way to tell whether a particular piece of meat has been produced with the correct stunning techniques. This is something that may be changed in the future.
Ingredients In Trader Joe’s Chicken Samosas
Obviously, chicken is the main ingredient in Trader Joe’s chicken samosas, but the following are also present:
- Pastry
- Onion
- Potatoes
- Yogurt
- Various spices (cilantro, garlic, ginger, fried onion)
- Vinegar
- Salt
- Oils
Obviously, the ingredients can change on occasion. It will be dependent on whether Trader Joe’s is sourcing their products from at that moment in time. If you have any allergies, then it is always worth checking the ingredients of their chicken samosas whenever you make a purchase. Any allergens should, thankfully, be clearly labeled on the product.
Trader Joe’s Policies on Halal Food
Trader Joe’s does not seem to have a policy on halal food. If you browse through their website, there seems to be absolutely no information on any halal products that they have.
They do detail some information about where their meats are sourced from, though. Do bear in mind that Trader Joe’s mostly uses cheaper meats, which means that it may not always be sourced from the best farms in the country.
That being said, Trader Joe’s has claimed that it is trying to introduce more Halal products into its range. In order to do this, it is looking for feedback from its customers. This means that, over time, you may find that their products will start to have some sort of Halal policy in place.
Based on what we know about how Trader Joe’s sources their products at the moment, we do want to point out that it is likely that if Trader Joe’s does have some sort of Halal food in place, it is likely from animals that have not been stunned before slaughter.
So, if you are not keen on that, then any Halal products stocked by the company may not be for you.
How To Determine If a Product Is Halal
If a meat-containing product is Halal, then it will be clearly labeled on the packaging. If you do not see a logo or some bit of text saying that the product is Halal, then you cannot guarantee that it is a Halal product and thus you should be avoiding it.
If the product does not contain meat, then you will need to consider your knowledge of Halal tradition to determine whether a product is Halal or not. The same will apply if you are looking into purchasing Kosher foods.
Alternatives To Trader Joe’s Chicken Samosas For Halal Diets
For the most part, the standard samosas should be fine for Halal diets i.e. the vegetable samosas. They should not contain any ingredients that go against Halal traditions.
However, as always, you should do independent research here to work out whether a product is going to be Halal or not. This is because the ingredients will change fairly regularly.
Of course, there are other stores around the United States that will have Halal chicken samosas in stock, so you may want to shop there.
Alternatively, you can make your own Halal chicken samosas from scratch. You should be able to source the vast majority of the ingredients that you need for this from Trader Joe’s. However, if you are looking for Halal chicken, then you are going to need to look elsewhere.
At the moment, it does not appear as if Trader Joe’s has any Halal chicken in stock. We do not know if this is something that is going to be changing in the future.
Unfortunately, there are not going to be that many alternatives for Halal eaters in Trader Joe’s. This is because the company doesn’t go out of its way to source Halal products however, as stated, this is something that could potentially change in the future.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Deep Samosas Halal?
The products stocked by Trader Joe’s are unlikely to be Halal. However, this doesn’t mean that you cannot source Halal products from elsewhere.
There are plenty of companies around that do stock Halal products, including deep samosas. Alternatively, you can make the deep samosas yourself. It shouldn’t be too tricky.
Is Deep Chicken Tikka Samosa Halal?
At the time of writing, the deep chicken tikka samosa that you can find at Trader Joe’s is not Halal. The product would clearly state that it is Halal.
At the moment, Trader Joe’s does not have a Halal range of meat products, although this may change in the future.
Final Thoughts
It is unlikely that Trader Joe’s chicken samosas are Halal. They do not mention it on the product packaging, and all products that are Halal should mention it somewhere.
It is unlikely that you will find that many meat products at Trader Joe’s that are Halal. The company does not currently have a Halal-sourcing policy in place, although this could change in the future.
Trader Joe’s should still have plenty of other products for those following a strict Halal diet, however.
