Is Biltong Halal? What Kosher Certification Does and Does Not Tell a Muslim Buyer
Biltong itself is neither halal nor haram. It is beef, vinegar, salt and spice, and whether a particular bag is halal depends almost entirely on how the animal was slaughtered. This guide explains what to look for on a label, how kosher certification relates to halal, and the questions only you or your own scholar can settle.
What decides whether biltong is halal
The recipe is rarely the problem. A traditional blend is coriander, black pepper, salt, vinegar and sometimes garlic or chili. The questions that matter are about the meat and anything added to it.
- The animal. Beef is permissible. Some biltong in the US is made from game, and some jerky-style products blend in pork. Read the ingredient list, not the front of the bag.
- The slaughter. This is the main question. Halal slaughter requires a single cut to the throat by a trained person, with the blood drained, and the name of G-d invoked. Meat from an ordinary commercial slaughterhouse does not meet that standard, however good the recipe is.
- The additives. Wine, alcohol-based flavorings and some gelatin-based glazes are the usual concerns. Plain vinegar is generally accepted, but if a label says "wine vinegar" or lists a flavoring you do not recognize, ask the maker.
- Cross-contact. A plant that also processes pork is a concern for many buyers. A certification body inspects for this; a label claim alone does not.
Does kosher certification mean halal?
Not automatically, and it is worth being precise about why, because the two overlap more than people expect.
| Question | Kosher (Glatt) beef | Halal beef |
|---|---|---|
| Who slaughters | A trained Jewish slaughterer (shochet) | A trained Muslim, and in many schools of thought a Christian or Jew |
| Method | One swift cut to the throat, blood drained | One cut to the throat, blood drained |
| Invoking G-d's name at slaughter | A blessing is said before a session of slaughter, not over each animal | Required over each animal (tasmiya) in most rulings |
| Inspection after slaughter | Lungs inspected; "Glatt" means no adhesions found | No equivalent requirement |
| Pork and pork products | Forbidden | Forbidden |
| Alcohol | Permitted in many forms | Forbidden as an intoxicant |
| Who certifies | A kosher agency, named on the bag | A halal certifier, named on the bag |
The practical result: kosher beef has been slaughtered by hand, with the blood drained, under supervision, and it cannot contain pork. That is why many Muslim buyers in the US choose kosher meat when halal is not available, and some scholars accept it on the basis that the food of the People of the Book is permitted. Other scholars do not accept it, mainly because the name of G-d is not said over each animal. That is a religious ruling, and it is yours to make with your own scholar, not a store's to make for you.
What our biltong is
We make biltong in small batches in Ormond Beach, Florida. Every bag is certified Glatt Kosher, and the certificates are published so you can read them rather than take our word for it. The certification we carry is kosher, not halal.
Here is the whole ingredient list for each flavor, so you can judge the recipe side for yourself:
| Flavor | Ingredients |
|---|---|
| Original | Grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, black pepper, salt, garlic, vinegar |
| Peri Peri | Grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, red pepper, black pepper, salt, garlic, vinegar, brown sugar |
| Loaded Garlic | Grass-fed kosher beef, coriander, garlic, roasted garlic, salt, tomato powder, vinegar |
No pork, no alcohol listed, no gelatin, no MSG, no preservatives, no nitrates. If you want to know the type of vinegar before you buy, ask us and we will tell you.
How to check any bag of biltong
- Look for a named certifier. A logo you can look up is worth more than the word "halal" or "kosher" printed on its own. "Kosher-style" and "halal-style" are not standards; there is nothing behind them.
- Read the ingredients for the three usual suspects: pork or unnamed "meat," wine or alcohol, and gelatin.
- Ask where it was made. Imported biltong rebagged in the US may be certified at one stage and not another.
- Check the certificate is current. Certificates expire. A reputable maker will show you the one in force.
If halal certification is a firm requirement
Then look for biltong with a halal certifier's mark specifically, and treat any kosher product, ours included, as not meeting your standard. If your practice accepts kosher meat, our biltong is hand-slaughtered, Glatt-inspected beef with a short ingredient list you can read in full, and that is the honest extent of what we can tell you.
See the full range, or read what our kosher certification covers.
