Halal Certification among the Small and Medium Entrepreneurs

Abstract

Abstract : Food is an essential part of human life. For Muslims, the food consumed must comply with the requirements of Islamic law, namely toyyiban (free from illegal and harmful things). Toyyiban means the food is halal, clean and safe to eat. Halal is a matter which is required which has fallen off from the unlawful bondage and the shariah allows its actions. Toyyiban is the highest quality aspect of the halal concept. Elections and toyyibban describe the symbol of hygiene, safety and quality in nutrition. In line with this, the demand for halal products has been high, also due to the rising population of Muslims worldwide. In Malaysia, halal certification for products is very important and producers must have halal certification to convince the general public that their products are reliable. SME entrepreneurs (SMEs) also do not miss out on this phenomenon. Therefore, this study aims to ascertain the extent of the understanding of SMEs on the halal concept and the concept of halal certification. The study was conducted in three states in the north of Malaysia, namely Kedah, Penang and Perlis. The findings showed that their understanding of the halal concept and the concept of halal certification is good where the mean score was above 4.0. This study used the quantitative approach with questionnaires fielded.

Keywords: Halal, Halal Certification, SME