Halal Traceability and Halal Tracki

Halal Traceability and Halal Tracking Systems in Strengthening Halal Food Supply Chain for Food Industry in Malaysia (A Review)


Abstract: The Halal industry involves farm-to-table operations. This has led to the development of new links within the value chain most notably in the area of information technology. Given the advancement in science and technology and the on-going initiatives to improve society, it is essential that the Halal concept be fully understood by industry players as well as customers. Halal traceability system and Halal tracking system are emerging as lucrative areas in the global Halal market. An effective traceability and tracking system in Malaysia is essential to mitigate the risks associated with Halal that can disrupt the international trade of Malaysian Halal food. Traceability and tracking systems function as a tool for communication making information available along the supply chain. However, recently Malaysia’s latest claim to be one of the Halal hubs in the world was put to test due to the unbelievable result of recent raid carried out by the Malaysia authorities. The finding was appalling and unethical as some so-called Halal foods manufacturers do not comply with the regulation set by the Malaysia authorities. The commotion pertaining to this issue was immense where the Muslim consumers in Malaysia began to question the effectiveness of Halal food traceability and tracking in Malaysia’s market. This study is written to discuss on the approaches towards Halal traceability and tracking currently used in Malaysia. Specifically, this study discusses the conceptual architecture on Halal traceability and Halal tracking system for Halal food product in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION

The quality of life of human beings can be significantly enhanced by the availability of food required for nourishment and sustenance. For Muslims, it is very important that the food consumed must be Halal and free from tainted elements. Given the speed of trade globalization the advancement in science and technology and the on-going initiatives to improve society, it is essential that the Halal concept be fully understood by both industry players and customers alike. It is important to appreciate how the Halal concept will influence the transformation of society towards achieving a better quality of life. Generally, the quality of life is influenced by dimensions which include education, food, employment, energy, environment, health, human rights, income, infrastructure, national security, public safety, re-creation and shelter (Henderson, 2001). Food safety and its quality assurance are very important to many people around the world. The last few decades have shown that society is placing such issues on top of everything else mainly because of the changes in eating habit, values and beliefs. Due to the higher volume of food trade between countries (Bates, 2004). Following this, several changes in the operating environment of the food and agribusiness sectors have contributed to rising interest in Halal food supply chain. Halal food supply chain provides a means to conceptualize Halal in the system to efficiently respond to consumer needs based on integration and co-ordination of the efforts of all the business units involved in the production and delivery processes such as at farm input farm, processor and supermarket levels (Riaz and Chaudry, 2004). At the consumer level, the driving forces changing agribusiness comprise increased consumers sensitivity to quality, safety, health and nutritional aspects of food products and their interests in the place of origin of the food produced, the means of production used including non-food values such as environmental sustainability and animal welfare. By taking into consideration the perspectives of the consumers, the Halal concept can be regarded as a catalyst that can transform people’s way of life but also their ideas and interpretations of quality, health, safety and environment. As with other religions in the world, Islam has introduced clear and definite concepts of Halal and haram that its followers must adhere to. Many of the Islamic teachings are based on these concepts and their manifestations can be observed in the areas of everyday production and consumption of food and other products. As Muslims, the concepts of Halal and haram in food consumption are paramount. Now a days more Muslims are becoming more diligent in observing their dietary obligations. This is in line with the teachings of Islam as highlighted in the Quran: