Ḥalāl food and products in Malaysia: People’s awareness and policy implications

Abstract

The concept of ḥalāl products or food is gaining worldwide attention because of its recognition as an alternative benchmark for safety, hygiene and quality assurance of what is consumed. Thus products or foods produced in line with ḥalāl prescriptions are acceptable to Muslim as well as many non-Muslim consumers. Given the significant role of ḥalāl awareness in the life of Muslims and their obligations to be Sharīʿah compliant, this paper addresses the determinants of Muslim consumers’ awareness of ḥalāl products or foods in the city of Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. It is argued that many factors have a bearing on the awareness of ḥalāl products or food but unfortunately most of the previous studies focused mainly on the ḥalāl certification logo. In order to fill the void, this paper delves into other factors that can influence the awareness of Muslims on ḥalāl consumptions. Using Partial Least Square-SEM, this study found that religious belief, ḥalāl exposure, Ḥalāl-logo, and health reasons are the determinants of Muslims’ awareness about ḥalāl consumptions.