Purpose
Muslim consumers have been shocked with the news of cross-contamination issues in the Halal food that they consumed. These issues make them put more effort in ensuring the products that they purchased being monitored throughout the supply chain. In this case, food companies must be prepared to implement systematic traceability system to ensure the authenticity of Halal products and comprehend the importance of Halal industry environmental factors (HIEF) in enhancing integrity of Halal food supply chain and protect from any risk of cross-contaminations. This paper aims to clarify the relationship between the Halal traceability system adoption (HTSA) and HIEFs on Halal food supply chain integrity (HFSCIn).
Design/methodology/approach
The study opted quantitative research approach by using the self-administrated questionnaires. The questionnaires were distributed during Malaysia International Halal Showcase (MIHAS) 2014 and Halal Fiesta Malaysia (HALFEST) 2014. 127 Malaysian Halal food and beverages companies have been involved in the study. Most of the respondents are the general manager or owner of the company, Halal executives, quality assurance managers, operation managers and sales manager.
Findings
The study found that there is a significant relationship between HTSA and HIEF on HFSCIn. The study also found that the highest adoptions of Halal traceability system are among the producer and end user, while the highest contributions in influencing the HIEF are the economic and socio-cultural factors.
Research limitations/implications
This study only focused on Halal food industry particularly the food and beverages category. Thus, future study can explore further on every category in food industry such as raw materials and ingredients; poultry, meat and dairy; fast food and premises and make comparison between pharmaceutical, cosmetics and health care in Halal industry. In addition, the sample size (N = 127) can be considered small; therefore, it is recommended that in future the subject matter be explored with a much larger sample to allow generalization of the result.
Originality/value
This study provided, perhaps for the first time, an analysis of the relationship between traceability adoptions and HIEF on HFSCIn.
Article HistoryThe increase number of cases on the misused of Halal logo and questionable status of Halal food indicate that there are weaknesses in the procedure of determining Halal food. In this case, food companies must be prepared to implement traceability system to ensure the authenticity of Halal products. Accordingly, the main purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the Halal traceability system adoption on Halal food supply chain integrity and performance. Using a quantitative research approach, survey questionnaires were distributed to 127 Malaysian Halal food and beverages companies during Halal exhibitions. Partial Least Squares (PLS) software was applied to examine the direct effect hypotheses. The results revealed that Halal traceability system adoptions were significantly importance in enhancing Halal food supply chain integrity and performance. The study has successfully filled the gap in literature by empirically establishing the relationship between Halal traceability system adoption on Halal food supply chain integrity and performance.
Contribution/ Originality:This study is one of very few studies which have empirically link traceability system, supply chain integrity and supply chain performance in the Halal food industry. The paper's primary contribution is the finding support the integration of Halal context as an important determinant in current food supply chain in accordance with Islamic law.
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