Consumers' Confidence in Halal Labeled Manufactured Food

The impending international challenges facing Malaysia will continue to be dominant and will affect its economic prospects considerably. With an increasing trend towards globalization, Malaysia will face sweeping technological changes in food manufacturing which require re-examining strategies of conducting their businesses. Currently, the key areas for growth and development in the food processing industry in Malaysia are functional and convenience foods, food ingredients and halal foods. Today, halal stands not only for the way of slaughter and preparation of food but also for animal welfare, social justice and sustainable environment. The lack of enforcement in monitoring the usage of certified halal food has caused the public to question the validity of some of the products that were claimed to be halal. The objective of this study is to gather information on consumers' confidence towards halal labeled food and to assess the level of confidence of the halalness of food products which carry halal logo.