[Updated 10 June 2021]
We have recently been publishing a series of articles about the Muslim-friendly status of popular overseas food products, including Tokyo Banana, Royce chocolates, and Korean Honey Butter snacks. They've gotten great response and we're so glad our readers have found them useful! ?
Credit: Giphy
We're hoping to continue helping our readers clear uncertainty about more food products, and in this article, we're looking at an item that's pretty easily available on our shores - Garrett Popcorn.
Credit: @nm24.12 on Instagram
You're probably already familiar with Garrett Popcorn. With a number of outlets scattered across KL and Singapore, many have become aware of this brand originating from Chicago, USA with its signature offerings such as the Chicago Mix (a blend between its cheese and caramel popcorns that make for a tasty mix of sweet and salty) as well as specialty nut flavours like the Macadamia or Almond Caramel Crisp.
Credit: @garrettpopcorn_my on Instagram
But is Garrett Popcorn safe for Muslims to consume? Despite being around in KL and Singapore for quite some time, many are still unclear about whether Garret's products are halal.
The information in this article is based off Garett Popcorn's main website and social media accounts (run by its American headquarters), while also checking directly with Garrett Popcorn Malaysia and Garrett Popcorn Singapore.
Note: There are no official Garrett Popcorn outlets available yet in Indonesia.
1. Websites
Please note that Garrett Popcorn's main website (i.e. run by its American headquarters) has a helpful FAQs list that helped us understand their ingredients and Muslim-friendly status better. However, the website is unfortunately only configured for US visitors (if you try accessing from Singapore or Malaysia you'll get an error notice). We got around this by using a VPN, which you can do so also if you'd like to access the website.
Garrett Popcorn Malaysia and Garrett Popcorn Singapore also have their own websites respectively.
2. Social media platforms
Garrett Popcorn has a main Twitter and Instagram account, managed by its American headquarters. Garrett Popcorn Singapore also has its own Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, while Garrett Popcorn Malaysia doesn't appear to have a Twitter account, but does have an Instagram account.
It's also worth noting here that a lot of the confusion regarding Garrett Popcorn's Muslim-friendly status has emerged due to a number screenshots going around the Internet allegedly showing direct messages with Garrett Popcorn across their social media platforms (both their Singapore and main US accounts) in which Garrett Popcorn says they are not halal.
Here's what we know
Credit: @garrettpopcorn_malaysia on Instagram
1. Is Garrett Popcorn halal-certified?
Garrett Popcorn in Malaysia has officially been halal-certified and you can read all about it here in this article! The establishments in Singapore have yet to receive their halal certification, so keep a look out for any updates they may have on their social media pages.
2. Are Garrett Popcorn products made from ingredients sourced from halal-certified suppliers?
Garrett Popcorn has clarified on its main Twitter account that not all its ingredients come from halal-certified sources, however, no pork, lard or alcohol is used in any of its recipes.
We also checked Garrett Popcorn's main website which includes a FAQs list that states:
- None of their recipes contains pork, lard or alcohol ingredients.
- All of Garrett Popcorn's signature recipes are vegetarian and do not contain meat, gelatin or egg.
- All of Garrett Popcorn's signature recipes are preservative-free.
- Garrett Popcorn signature recipes contain only 5 - 8 ingredients, most of which can be found in a typical kitchen.
3. What about the screenshots where Garret Popcorn said they are not halal?
Credit: @garrettpopcorn_malaysia on Instagram
We reached out to Garrett Popcorn Malaysia and Singapore (which are managed by the same holding company based in Singapore) with these concerns via email as well as through Instagram. They kindly got back to us promptly, reiterating that they understand the needs of Muslim customers and reassured us that all of the recipes they use exclude pork, lard and alcohol. In addition, they noted that they have begun exploring options for halal certifications as they understand its something their customers care about.
In their correspondence, they also noted that there was a miscommunication in the responses by Garrett Popcorn's social media accounts where they stated the products are not halal due to processes they use to make their products. In addition to apologizing for the miscommunication, they went on to clarify Garrett Popcorn's cooking process is straightforward: raw popcorn kernels are hot-air popped, without oil, and are then used in their recipes that are hand-crafted by their shop teams fresh every day.
4. Should you eat Garrett Popcorn?
Credit: @garrettpopcorn_malaysia on Instagram
The short answer is - it's up to you. At HHWT, we understand and respect that different people have different levels of comfort when determining whether a food is suitable for their consumption. While some may prefer that all their food items come from halal-certified establishments, others may be comfortable consuming products from places that may not be halal-certified so long as the products they consume do not contain haram substances. We aim to provide all the information you'd require to come to your own conclusion and recommend that you consume it at your own discretion. As always, we recommend that you do your own checks if unsure and if in doubt, we advise you to explore alternative options.
Bonus
If you'd like more halal-certified options, Cornery (a popcorn company based in Malaysia) is halal-certified by JAKIM and has outlets in Selangor.
So there you have it! We hope that this article helps to shed some light and provides clarity regarding Garrett Popcorn. Do let us know in the comments section what other food items or snacks you’d like to us to talk about ?