Halal food credence: do the Malaysian non-Muslim consumers hesitate?

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to introduce the variable of halal food knowledge (HFK) into the theory of planned behavior framework to investigate Malaysian non-Muslim consumers’ decision-making process in purchasing halal food. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through 350 distributed questionnaires toward non-Muslim consumers on five most visited grocery stores (hypermarket-based) in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. The collected data was analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences and SmartPLS. Findings Purchasing halal food remain an uneasy task for the non-Muslim consumers, thus rely on their personal evaluation and closest relative’s approval. Research limitations/implications This study is focusing only on two halal food credence attributes namely health attribute and animal-friendly attributes. Practical implications Both health and animal friendly credence attributes of halal food should be the main message to be conveyed to the non-Muslim consumers. In addition, the inclusion of non-Muslim consumers within the Malaysian halal ecosystem might provide a solution to tackle the resistance of halal food from foreign countries. Originality/value The value of this study is the finding of halal food credence attributes of health and animal friendly, which are the dimensions of HFK.