Non-Muslims’ acceptance of imported products with halal logo: A case study of Malaysia and Japan

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether citizens of non-Muslim countries accept products with a “halal” logo. In the era of globalization, one of the most crucial issues for Muslim travelers is reliable halal foods when visiting non-Muslim countries. If people in non-Muslim countries accept imported products containing halal certification logos, and such products are readily available in shops, this issue could be substantially improved.

Design/methodology/approach

Malaysia and Japan were selected as Muslim and non-Muslim countries, respectively, to conduct a choice experiment (CE) for 656 non-Muslim subjects, and estimated willingness to pay (WTP) for mineral water with and without the halal logo. A random parameter logit model was used for estimation.

Findings

The difference between the WTP for mineral water with and without the halal logo was ¥5; however, the associated coefficient is not statistically significant. This implies that the halal logo has no impact on non-Muslim subjects’ purchasing behavior. From this, we can infer that the halal products with certification logo would be accepted in Japanese shops, which may foster foreign Muslim visits.

Research limitations/implications

As the results are based on a couple of countries (Malaysia and Japan) and only one product (mineral water), further investigation using other products in different countries would be necessary. However, as suggested in the main text, the results enjoy a degree of generalizability.

Originality/value

The results of this study support the possibility of circulating halal products in non-Muslim countries and thus promoting Muslim travel abroad. No such study has examined this issue using CE.

Citation

Kawata, Y., Htay, S.N.N. and Salman, A.S. (2018), "Non-Muslims’ acceptance of imported products with halal logo: A case study of Malaysia and Japan", Journal of Islamic Marketing, Vol. 9 No. 1, pp. 191-203. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-02-2016-0009