Collagen Products: Issue of Halalness and the Consumers’ Tendency of Acceptance

Abstract

Collagen is essential to a human being because it is an important source of amino acids. Lack of collagen may cause health problems such as decreased joint elasticity and aging. Collagen is in high demand, especially in food and beverages, cosmetics, and health industries. Nevertheless, the sources of collagens and gelatins are recently being questioned, particularly among Muslim users, on the status of halãlness. The study's objective is to derive the guiding principles from the Qur’ãnic and Prophetic points of view related to sources of collagen products. This study also aims to explore the tendency that consumers in Malaysia will choose halal collagen in their consumption and its determinants. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are adopted. Analytical, inductive, and deductive approaches are used under the qualitative method. Descriptive and logistic regression are used under the quantitative method in which data are collected from a survey. The study finds that any collagen products sourced from bovine bone, bovine hide, porcine skin, and non-slaughtered animals are non-halal. The sources obtained that might affect the ecosystem and environment are highly discouraged in Islam, and the use of recombinant collagen-like protein from selected bacteria is permissible as long as it complies with the related halal and health regulations imposed by the authorities. Empirically, the probability that consumers opt for halal collagen is significantly determined by gender, age, religion, education, and income level. The likelihood of consumers opting for halal collagen is higher among the elderly, females, Muslims, highly educated consumers, and middle-income consumers. The empirical results also reveal that consumers' tendency to choose halal collagen is significantly influenced by the idea that the collagen should support Maqasid Shariah and be approved by JAKIM.