PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF CONSUMER AWARENESS LEVELS REGARDING HALAL CHICKEN PURCHASES IN SELANGOR

Muhammad Afif Zakwan bin Azhar; Zalina binti Zakaria; Nina Sakinah binti Ahmad Rofaie

Muhammad Afif Zakwan bin Azhar Department of Shariah and Law, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Zalina binti Zakaria Department of Shariah and Law, University of Malaya, Malaysia
Nina Sakinah binti Ahmad Rofaie Department of Decision Science, University of Malaya, Malaysia

Keywords: Consumer awareness, halal chicken, halal certification, Selangor

Abstract

BACKGROUND :

The halal chicken market is now gaining widespread acceptance not only among Muslim consumers, but also among non-Muslim consumers. This attraction is due to factors such as hygiene, food safety, and maintained quality. However, studies on the awareness of Muslim consumers towards the purchase of halal food, especially chicken, still receive less attention. Therefore, this study aims to assess the level of awareness of Muslim consumers towards the purchase of halal chicken in Selangor, a state that is the focus of the halal sector in Malaysia.

METHOD : This study uses data from a pilot study collected through a questionnaire. A total of 31 respondents were involved, and the analysis was carried out using SPSS software version 20. The questionnaire was divided into three parts: (A) demographics of the respondents, (B) the level of consumer awareness of halal chicken, (C) factors that influence the purchase of halal chicken. The questionnaire was conducted in the state of Selangor with a random selection of respondents from nine districts in Selangor, using stratified random sampling that is suitable for the population of the state of Selangor which is 4,503,860 people.

RESULTS & DISCUSSION:

The level of reliability of the questionnaire was measured using Cronbach's Alpha. Six factors have been identified as determining the level of consumer awareness towards the purchase of halal chicken. Based on a pilot study, all factors show reliability values that exceed the minimum value (α >0.7), with a score of α >0.9. This analysis shows that Muslim consumers in Selangor have a good level of awareness in choosing halal chicken, with the main consideration involving aspects of hygiene and halal certification.

CONCLUSION : The results of this pilot study show that the factors tested pass the required level of reliability. This study has the potential to be continued in the future to gain a deeper understanding of Muslim consumers' awareness of purchasing halal chicken in Selangor. A wider study is needed to support Selangor's efforts in developing a globally competitive halal industry.