The Role of Supplier, Top Management and Government in Halal Practices Integrity of Malaysian Food Business

Abstract

In the last few years, halal food industry has grown substantively and globally. It become crucial to the Muslim consumers due to its safety, hygiene and quality assurance of what is consumed and used. Muslim consumers follow the Islamic dietary law as explained clearly in Quran and Sunnah, which is called as halalan-thoyyiban, i.e. lawful or permissible, wholesome, authentic and safety. In Malaysia, the organization has to comply with MS1500:2009 in the production of halal food and to obtain halal certification. Suppliers, top management of the companies and government should play their role in ensuring the integrity of halal food. Any improper description and inappropriate preparation of halal food provide a huge impact to the demand for halal food as well as to retain the buyers’ trust in consuming the halal food. Given the significant role of supplier, top management and government in the halal production over the Muslim consumers’ life, this study aims to examine the role of supplier credibility, top management capability and government support in halal practices integrity of food business in Malaysia. The questionnaires distributed to the halal food manufacturers during the Malaysian halal food events and festivals. Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Square was used to analyze the collected data. The findings show the important role those parties in the halal food production. The results also provide a better understanding of their role in sustaining the integrity of halal food.