Consumer acceptance of RFID-enabled services in validating Halal status

As Halal is the greatest concert to all Muslims, several measures have been taken by the authorities to educate Muslims about Halal status on food products. Introducing Halal logo is one of the significant approaches. Challenges faced by manufacturers in promoting their products to Muslims consumers made process of securing Halal logo harder. Fake Halal logos are produced massively which then leads to confusion to the consumers. This study is focused on validating Halal status for food products by using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enhance existing methods in Malaysia. A preliminary survey was performed to valuate the industry´s readiness to implement RFID technology in Malaysia. A process model and prototype were developed to enhance existing systems. With this method, the authentic Halal logo that is issued by JAKIM can easily be validated, because every stamp that will be embedded into food packages is identified with its own unique identification number. An RFID reader will be placed at retail stores for consumers to validate product´s status. User evaluation has been conducted to measure satisfaction in term of usability, efficiency, security, affordability and profitability. Based on the evaluation, all respondents are satisfied with the performance of this new technology and fully support implementing this system globally, as the Malaysian government is now moving towards becoming the world´s Halal hub.