EXAMINING THE AWARENESS OF MUSLIM CONSUMERS TOWARDS HALAL FOOD

Abstract

Due to its recognition as a Muslim country, Malaysia has used this status to establish itself as a global hub for halal products. As the majority population of Malaysia are Muslims, who are also major consumers of halal food, they are expected to have a deeper understanding of the concept compared to other ethnic groups. Despite the majority being Muslim, many foods are still not prepared according to halal regulations, and there are abundant issues with abuse of halal certification and labelling. This study aims to investigate the awareness of halal food among Muslim consumers. The study examines the impact of variables such as halal logo labelling and packaging, exposure to regulatory authorities and enforcement, and consumer attitudes by using a questionnaire distributed to respondents in Northern Malaysia. Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) was utilized for data analysis, and multiple regressions were conducted to test the hypothesis. The results of the study indicate mixed results in relation to the tested relationship between the variables. Based on the research, there is a significant relationship between the halal logo, labelling and packaging, regulatory authorities’ exposure and enforcement, and consumer attitude of customer awareness towards halal food among Muslims in Malaysia.