Are Cheez-Its Halal? Cheese Enzymes Explained

Cheez-It Original crackers are made from enriched wheat flour, vegetable oil and cheese. The cheese is made with skim milk, whey protein, salt, cheese cultures, enzymes and annatto color. Smaller amounts of salt, paprika, yeast, paprika extract and soy lecithin finish the recipe ^[1][2].

There is no meat, no gelatin, no alcohol and no carmine on the label. The colors come from annatto and paprika, both plant-based. The vegetable oils (soybean, palm, canola or sunflower) are plant-based too ^[1].

The one ingredient that raises a halal question is "enzymes" in the cheese.

Cheese is made by adding enzymes to milk so it curdles. The traditional enzyme is rennet, taken from the stomach of a young calf. Today many US cheese makers use microbial or fermentation-produced enzymes instead, which are not from animals.

The Cheez-It label simply says "enzymes" ^[1][2]. It doesn't say which kind. Without that, you can't tell from the box whether the cheese used animal rennet.

Scholars disagree about animal rennet:

• Hanafi view. Rennet from a halal animal is lawful even if the animal wasn't slaughtered Islamically, though avoiding unknown-source rennet is advised ^[3][4].
• Majority view. Maliki, Shafi'i and Hanbali scholars hold that rennet from an improperly slaughtered animal is impure ^[4].

Everyone agrees pig rennet is not halal and microbial enzymes are fine ^[3]. Read our rennet and enzymes pages for more.

Some websites claim that certain Cheez-It flavors are halal certified. We could not confirm this from Kellanova, the brand's maker, or from a certifier's public listing. The ingredient listings we checked show no halal claim ^[1][2].

Until an official source confirms it, treat US Cheez-Its as not certified. If you find a box with a halal logo, check that it names a certifier, and that the certifier lists the product.

Cheez-It is also sold outside the US, sometimes under different recipes and labels. Check the box in your country.

Cheez-It comes in many flavors, such as White Cheddar, Extra Toasty, Hot & Spicy, Pepper Jack and Grooves. Each has its own ingredient list. Some flavored crackers add more cheeses, whey, buttermilk or natural flavors, and each extra cheese brings the same enzyme question.

Read the label for:

• Enzymes in each cheese, and whether a source is given.
• Natural flavors, which may use an alcohol carrier. See our alcohol (ethanol) page.
• Meat flavors, like a chili cheese dog flavor. These need extra care, since the flavor source may not be stated.

Recipes change, so the box in your hand is always the best guide.

For other cheese snacks, see Goldfish crackers and Cheetos. For the cheese itself, our cheddar cheese page explains how to read cheese labels in the US.