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1 Introduction
Halal means something which has been sanctioned by Islamic law. Concerning food, this describes products which have been handled with a high level of hygiene, as well as meeting a certain standard of cleanliness, safety and nutrition. In summary, the food has been produced stringently under the requirements of the Islamic Dietary Law. As people become more health-conscious, Halal principles are no longer confined to the strictly religious but are becoming an appealingly healthy and hygienic cuisine style. However, non-Muslim consumers still look at Halal food products from a religious perspective and see it mainly as the way an animal has been slaughtered.
Halal accreditation is known for its beneficial characteristics which are not only to be enjoyed by Muslim consumers but also by non-Muslims. For example, Halal requirements meet many of the conventional quality standards, such as ISO, Codex Alimentarius, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point and Good Hygienic Practice. Additionally, implementing Halal requirements will produce better quality products compared to those that only implement the conventional standards ([2] Talib and Ali, 2009). Therefore, Halal values can be popularized among non-Muslim consumers if the society at large is made to be more aware of issues concerning health, hygiene, safety, the environment, social justice and animal welfare that comes along with the Halal ways of doing things.
The Malaysian Industrial Development Authority and the Department of Islamic Development of Malaysia (JAKIM) have so far issued 424 Halal certificates to 424 food manufacturers, investing a total of RM5.9 billion. The process of Halal certification conducted by JAKIM is quite lengthy so as to ensure the Halaness of the manufactured food. It includes the inspection of the premises, workers, raw materials and ingredients used in the manufacturing of the food products. The manufactured food products that meet the requirements are endorsed by JAKIM with its certified Halal logo. These endorsed products are recognized as meeting Islamic standards so Muslims can consume such products without any doubt concerning its Halalness. Such licensing standards have made Halal principles popular among non-Muslim food manufacturers because of the wider market potential to export such products to other Muslim countries ([1] Ariff, 2004). However, due to a lack of knowledge among non-Muslims on Halal principles and insufficient information on...