Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing

ISSN: 0897-4438 (Print) 1528-6983 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wifa20

Integrating Factors Influencing Consumers’ Halal

Products Purchase: Application of Theory of
Reasoned Action

Iftikhar Hussain, Saleem ur Rahman, Arshad Zaheer & Salman Saleem

To cite this article: Iftikhar Hussain, Saleem ur Rahman, Arshad Zaheer & Salman Saleem
(2016): Integrating Factors Influencing Consumers’ Halal Products Purchase: Application of
Theory of Reasoned Action, Journal of International Food & Agribusiness Marketing

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2015.1006973

Published online: 20 Jan 2016.

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 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08974438.2015.1006973

Integrating Factors Influencing Consumers’ Halal Products

Purchase: Application of Theory of Reasoned Action
Iftikhar Hussaina, Saleem ur Rahmanb, Arshad Zaheera, and Salman Saleemb
a
Iqra University, Islamabad, Pakistan; bUniversity of Vaasa, Vaasa, Finland

ABSTRACT KEYWORDS
The purpose of this research is to determine Muslim consumers’ Halal products; Muslim
purchase perceptions of Halal products in Pakistan. The research consumers; Pakistan; theory
team has integrated different factors such as processing, Halal of reasoned action
logo, ingredients, health consciousness, perceived value, food
safety concern, and religious factor with Theory of Reasoned
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Action (TRA), and they investigated their influence on consumers’

attitudes and intentions to purchase Halal food products. A survey
was conducted in Islamabad and Rawalpindi city, Pakistan. A total
of 282 (56.4%) completed questionnaires were received from 500
respondents. Structural equation modeling technique was used to
determine consumers’ purchase intention and behavior regarding
Halal products. Except for health consciousness and Halal logo, all
factors positively influence consumers’ attitude and purchase
intention of Halal food products and, subsequently, their purchase
behavior.

Introduction
The exact role of religion is not clear in the consumer food choice (Delener,
1994), but it simply depends on the interpretations of the principles and
followings of the teachings of the religion. Facts show that most of the religions
forbid their followers from consuming certain foods; specifically, regulations
and limitations are imposed in cases where religious considerations
prevail (Shatenstein & Ghadirian, 1998). Despite the unclear role of religion,
there are many facts that show that religion plays an important role in many
societies (Dindyal & Dindyal, 2003).
Islam is a religion that is the natural way of life. For example, a follower of
this religion believes that his/her religion is a complete system. He/she
believes that the Holy Book (Quran) and the Sunnah (Actions and sayings
of Holy Prophet Muhammad) are the guidelines to live life in this world. Most
importantly, the solutions to everyday life problems are written in the Quran
and instructed by the Holy Prophet Muhammad. For example, the economic
system in Islam is fair; its social system is based on peace, good will, and

CONTACT Saleem ur Rahman saleem.rahman@uva.fi Department of Marketing, Faculty of Business Studies,

P.O Box 700 FI-65101, University of Vaasa, Finland.
Color versions of one or more of the figures in the article can be found online at www.tandfonline.com/wifa.
© 2016 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
 2 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

cooperation; and the political system in Islam is established on conferring and

consulting (Dali, Sulaiman, Samad, Ismail, & Alwi, 2007). Likewise, Islam has
dietary laws for food consumption. Islam categorizes food items as “lawful,”
or permitted (Halal), and as “unlawful,” or prohibited (Haram) (Regenstein,
Chaudry, & Regenstein, 2003). Muslims follow Quranic guidance that
all foods are Halal except those that are specifically mentioned as Haram
(unlawful or prohibited).

Halal according to Quran in Islam

The Al-Quran mentioned,
For Halal: “O ye who believe, eat of the good things where with we have
provided you and render thanks to Allah, if it is He whom we worship”
(Qur’an 2:172).
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For Haram: “Forbidden unto you (for food) are: carrion, blood, swine flesh
and that which hath been dedicated unto any other than Allah, and the
strangled, and the dead through beating, and the dead through falling from
a height, and that hath been killed by the gorging of horns, and the devoured
of wild beasts saving that which ye make lawful and that which hath been
immolated to idols, and that ye swear by the divining arrows” (Qur’an 2:173).
“Forbidden to you is anything that dies by itself, and blood and pork,
as well as whatever has been consecrated to something besides Allah, and
whatever has been strangled, beaten to death, trapped in a pit, gorged, and
what some beast of prey has begun to eat, unless you give it the final blow;
and what has been slaughtered before some idol, or what you divide up in
a raffle; (all) that is immoral!” (Qur’an 5:3).
Islam puts down guidelines on the matter of Halal; for example, all the
ingredients and materials used should be Halal, only naturally Halal animals
should be slaughtered using a sharp knife, and Halal material should not mix
with Haram material during manufacturing, processing, cooking, and serving
likewise. In Islam, there is a specific purpose of Halal―for example, Halal
preserves purity of life and protects Islamic ethics, attitude, and manners.
It also safeguards one’s property and safeguards forthcoming generations to
sustain dignity.

Halal in the modern era

Changes in global trade and lifestyle of consumers brought non-Muslim
countries’ dominion in Halal business. For example, International Market
Bureau Canada revealed that the Halal products market is more than US
$560 billion a year, while the total population of Muslims in the world is
greater than 1.8 billion (ARKIB, 2004). This is a huge market for the trade
of Halal products to be served.
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 3

Halal as a religious requirement (all Muslims drink and eat, take medicines,
and use other consumables) is creating the growing demand for Halal
products. Considering the increase in income and population growth, Halal
food may account for more than 20% of all trades of the world. Since
1970, the concept and understanding of Halal have been increasing not only
in the Muslim world but in non-Muslim countries as well. This concept has
been widely whispered in general and debated in particular. The speed of
globalization and the advent of technology brought changes in manufacturing
and processing and in the design and presentation of products. Therefore, it
is important for companies to understand the Halal concept from the
customer’s point of view and to manufacture, offer, and market those
products aligned with Muslim consumers’ needs and wants (Al-Nahdi, Ismail,
Haron, & Islam, 2009).
The concept of Halal emphasizes hygiene, safety, cleanliness, wholesome-
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ness, purity, manufacture, production, process, honesty, truthfulness, and

service of food items and other financial and social activities on the excellent
platform of Islam. The growing popularity of Halal and its acceptance are
linked with the religious beliefs that it is neat and clean, healthy, and tastier
(Al-Harran & Low, 2008). In the area of business, Halal is becoming a global
emblem of quality and lifestyle choice (IslamOnline.net, 2005); its dominion
covers not only meat products but also other product categories like
pharmaceuticals, toiletries, stationery, cosmetics, and services, including
banking, finance, and insurance. Demand for Halal food increased due to
awareness in Muslims. At the same time, the demand for safety and
hygiene has also risen. Therefore, to meet that demand, with the help of
advanced technology, it is now possible to analyze the ingredients and
contents of food products more accurately before manufacturing and
marketing to consumers.
Manufacturers can validate the status of products to be Halal or non-Halal
by using labeling and certification, which can help consumers to recognize
and buy these products. For example, In Singapore, after getting Halal
certification by fast food companies such as Burger King, KFC, and Taco Bell,
their sales increased to more than 20% (Sabri, 2006). In contrast to well-
marketed products available in the market, consumers would seek attention
to purchase the credible products with Halal ingredients and a certified logo
(Al-Harran & Low, 2008). Halal is not limited to Muslims; non-Muslims are
also familiar with this concept. Facts about Halal show that in 2008, there was
an increase in sales by Halal stores in Russia to US$100 million. Both Muslim
and non-Muslim consumers are demanding safer food. This consumer base of
non-Muslim countries is concerned about the humane treatment of animals,
which is one of the requirements of Halal prepared food (Canadian Agro-Food
Trade Service, 2008). In their opinion, they believe that Halal products are
healthy, safe, and good to use (Muhammad, 2007).
 4 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

Halal food products in Pakistan

In Pakistan, despite the meticulous efforts of different national organizations for
many years, only a few local accredited bodies in the country act in accordance
with Halal quality standards. In immense and immediate effort is necessary to
give a platform to entrepreneurs, businesspersons, and industrialists. A dire
need of effective and ensured authority is needed to enhance these efforts. In this
regard, the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) is playing a vital
role in establishing a connection between Halal certification companies and
entrepreneurs interested in investing in Halal businesses.
Halal food certification and assurance are hot topics of consideration
for different multinational companies that launched their food and nonfood
products in Pakistan. Halal Industry Research Centre (HIRC) launched the
first Halal assurance and certification program for foods and nonfoods
in 2009. To uncover the important role of the Halal share of US$2 trillion,
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a recent conference on Halal products was held in Pakistan to highlight the

importance of Halal products in the sectors of food and beverage, cosmetics,
dairy, poultry, banking, insurance, pharmaceuticals, tourism, retail, logistics,
and packaging. The importance of Halal as a business and as a product was
discussed at the conference.
Pakistan is one of the fast-growing markets for Halal products. Malaysia,
Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and other Muslim countries play an important role
in promoting the Halal concept and importance. There is very limited
research conducted to understand consumers’ behavior toward Halal pro-
ducts in Pakistan. Muslims are now requesting certification and purity of food
products that comply with their Halal Islamic standards (Riaz & Chaudry,
2003). Therefore, it is similarly important to study Halal food and nonfood
products perceptions of consumers in Pakistan. It will help us to understand
the efforts of government and companies in the promotion of that concept to
satisfy Pakistani consumers’ neesd and wants.

Research model and hypotheses

The following sections of the literature will further highlight and help us
understand how different factors play an important role in consumers’
purchase intention and behavior toward Halal products.
We have conceptualized a model based on the Theory of Reasoned Action
(TRA) to investigate influencing factors that truly describe consumers’ per-
ceptions of purchasing Halal products. In the light of past research, different
factors important for considering purchasing Halal products are incorporated
and connected with the intention and behavior elements of TRA. Therefore,
all the mandatory explanations backed up by past literature grounded a theory
for this research to investigate the factors that play an important role
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 5

in diverting Muslim consumers’ purchase intention toward Halal food and

nonfood products in a developing country (i.e., Pakistan).

Theory of reasoned action

A person’s behavior is determined by his/her intention to perform the
behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Attitudes of consumers can be understood
better with the help of the TRA theory. This theory has two important
propositions: first, it predicts purchase behavior of an individual, which is
an important factor to measure the individual’s attitude toward that behavior.
Second, subjective norm determinant measures the influence of family
members’ or friends’ expectations on person’s behavior toward any object
or concept (Hanzaee & Ramezani, 2011; Lutz, 1991). The prediction useful-
ness of TRA is apparently obvious in different situations (Sheppard, Hartwick,
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& Warshaw, 1988). TRA is an important theory to predict the buying

expectation and probability of consumers and their sensible efforts they make
to purchase any product (Spears & Singh, 2004; Tuu & Olsen, 2012). Likewise,
current research also expects to test TRA in Halal product purchase research
settings.

TRA and Halal purchase relationship

Significant attention has been paid to TRA in the context of Halal consumer
behavior research. For example, Lada, Tanakinjal, and Amin (2009) applied
TRA to predict the intention to choose Halal products by consumers
in Malaysia. Alam and Sayuti (2011) and Aziz and Chok (2013) tested Theory
of Planned Behavior (TPB) to understand consumer purchase behavior of
Halal products. However, Amin (2012) applied TRA to extract the use of
credit cards by Islamic bank consumers. In addition, Mukhtar and Butt
(2012) investigated two factors of TRA to understand the building of Muslim
consumers’ attitude toward Halal products. The majority of studies conducted
research on measuring consumers’ perception of Halal products used TRA.
Researchers suggest that it is necessary to recognize and focus on the criteria
and scope of all the aspects of consumer behavior in perspective of Halal
product perception (Ahmad, 2008).

Consumer attitude and intention

Since consumer attitude and intention are two factors of TRA, the majority
of studies has tested these factors with different other factors. Many of
the researchers agreed that attitude is a mental state of an individual that
represents his/her feelings toward an object or a concept. Fishbein and
Ajzen (1975) stated that the degree of an individual’s positive or negative
 6 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

feeling toward any object or toward the intention of performing any particular
behavior is called attitude.
In consumer behavior and marketing context, attitude is a favorable or
an unfavorable tendency of behavior of an individual toward any object.
Therefore, a consumer can have dissimilar attitudes toward the same product
in different places and situations (Schiffman & Kanuk, 2010). Research proved
that consumer behavior and food consumption have an indirect relationship
with one another. In this regard, many studies used different behavioral
models to determine the relationship of consumer behavior with food
consumption (Conner & Sparks, 1996; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Nooh, Nawai,
Dali, & Mohammad, 2008; Thompson, Haziris, & Alekos, 1996).
More specifically, in the context of consumer behavior the most popular
theoretical models are TPB, TRA, classic attitude behavior model and beha-
vioral perspective model. These models and theories are important for
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researchers in determining and investigating consumer behavior toward food

consumption and of buying behavior of food products (Acebron, Mangin, &
Dopico, 2000; Alam & Sayuti, 2011; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Norman & Con-
ner, 2006). All the above-mentioned models show that attitude, social norms,
and perceived behavioral control motivate consumers to choose food and
nonfood products.
Consumer attitude and intention to buy products are widely discussed
in previous literature in both Halal and non-Halal contexts (Ozgen &
Kurt, 2013). Therefore, it is worthy to test the relationship and influence of
consumer attitude with the Halal purchase intention and the intention to
purchase with their future purchase behavior of Halal products. Accordingly,
we hypothesized that,
H1: Consumer’s attitude positively influences his/her purchase intention of Halal
products.
H2: Consumer’s purchase intention of Halal products positively influences his/her
purchase behavior.

Health consciousness
As people became more health conscious, their style of eating changed to
eating healthy and hygienic food items (Rezai, Mohamed, & Shamsudin,
2012). Health consciousness plays an important role in the buying and
consumption of food (Padel & Foster, 2005; Tregear, Dent, & McGregor,
1994). It means that health consciousness is a predictor of attitudes and inten-
tion to buy food products (Magnusson, Arvola, Hursti, Åberg, & Sjöden, 2003).
Particularly, Muslim consumers demand healthy and quality products that
meet Shariah requirements (Al-Harran & Low, 2008). In this regard, products
that comply with those requirements must be healthy to be offered to consu-
mers (Shaharudin, Pani, Mansor, Elias, & Sadek, 2010). Quah and Tan (2009)
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 7

asserted that consumers are becoming more educated; therefore their choices
moved toward the wellness of health and they tend to become more conscious
about their health. In the light of past literature conclusions, we hypothesized
that,
H3: Health consciousness of a consumer positively influences his/her purchase
intention of Halal products.

Product perceived value

According to Zeithaml (1988), the consumer’s overall assessment of the utility
of a product is based on perceptions of what is received and what is given.
Perception of value directly influences willingness to buy (Dodds, Monroe,
& Grewal, 1991). The link between perceived value of product and purchase
intention shows that consumers who have acceptable price ranges prefer the
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low and acceptable price range products to highly priced ranged products.
The perceived value of a product is justified by the fair or true price of the
product (Vlosky, Ozanne, & Fontenot, 1999).
In the context of a Halal product’s perceived value, consumers view
Halal products as an important part of a product and being Halal adds value
to that product subsequent to quality and customer satisfaction. It has been
acknowledged that consumer behavior is understood better when analyzed
through the perceived value (Ostrom & Iacobucci, 1995). Shaharudin et al.
(2010) concluded that there is a positive relationship between the perceived
value of Halal product and the purchase intention of consumers. Though
the majority of studies concluded in the context of Halal that the perceived
value of a product positively influences the purchase intention of consumers,
according to Norhabibah (2011), there is no strong relationship between per-
ceived value and the purchase intention of food products. However, this
research investigates the influence of perceived value on consumers’ purchase
intentions of Halal products, and thus we hypothesized that,
H4: Perceived value of a consumer positively influences his/her purchase intention
of Halal products.

Food safety concern

Consumers show their willingness to buy valued and safer products (Henson,
1996). Researchers argue that food safety is an important attribute for pur-
chasing food products (Angulo, Gill, & Tamburo, 2005; Padel & Foster,
2005; Schifferstein & Oude Ophuis, 1998). In the Islamic perspective, under
the Shariah laws, food safety concern fulfills the Halal and Tyyabian require-
ments (Hashim, Shahab, Masilamani, Baharom, & Ibrahim, 2009). Shaharu-
din et al. (2010) found that food safety concern has a little impact on
consumers’ intention to purchase organic food products.
 8 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

However, Norhabibah (2011) concludes that food safety positively influ-

ences the customer purchase intention of Halal products. Therefore, the Halal
food chain is acclimating to newly evolving consumer interests such as animal
welfare, food safety, and handiness of cooking and eating (Bonne & Verbeke,
2008; Bonne, Vermeir, & Verbeke, 2008). Majority of the consumers consider
that Halal products follow stricter safety and quality standards than non-Halal
products; it means that consumer responds to the extra food safety and quality
beyond religion and thus manufacturers can expand their marketing reach and
business profitably (Cutler, 2007). Therefore, in the light of past research find-
ing, food safety is an important factor to influence consumers to choose Halal
products. We therefore hypothesized that,
H5: Food safety concern of a consumer positively influences his/her purchase inten-
tion of Halal products.
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Processing
According to Guntalee and Unahannda (2005), to build trust with consumers
toward Halal packages and to sell the food products in the Muslim world, the
producers must do everything in the production process to meet the Halal
specifications. Thus, the elements of trust determine how the product is pro-
cessed, which can be the factors to stimulate customer’s positive response.
Therefore, a continuous change in manufacturing process and product devel-
opment is essential for marketers to understand the Halal concept.
Dali et al. (2007) concludes that method of product manufacturing is
important in determining their Halal status. In the processing of Surimi
and Surimi-based food, products must confirm Halal food status and that
its regulation is legal (Huda, Abdullah, & Babji, 1999). In addition, the sani-
tary system, the processing of food such as the slaughtering method, and the
other related operations outlined by Islamic rules certify the quality of food
products. It is therefore suggested that consumers prefer product processing
to be Halal certified (Marzuki, Hall, & Ballantine, 2012). We in this regard
hypothesize that,
H6: Product processing positively influences a consumer’s attitude to buy Halal
products.

Ingredients
In Halal food products, ingredients are the main reasons of concern for both
manufacturers and consumers. Consumers pay more attention to the ingredi-
ents and raw materials used in the products; they strongly follow the Shariah
law and principles regarding foodstuffs and other nonfood items (Dali et al.,
2007). Consumers who consume products believe that, the products should
not contain “Haram” or illegal/prohibited ingredients, like alcohol, gelatin,
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 9

pig, and animal grease in the making of cakes, biscuits, dishes, stationery, toi-
letries, etc. (Daud, Din, Bakar, Kadir, & Sapuan, 2011). Halal products such as
candies, juices, drinks, cosmetics, and other consumer products should be free
from ingredients, materials, and preservatives that add anti-shariah qualities
such as prohibited tastes and aromas like alcohol, gelatin, and pig contents
(Zakaria & Abdul-Talib, 2010). Ingredients influence consumers’ attitudes
toward Halal products (Omar, Muhammad, & Omar, 2008). The findings
of Norhabibah (2011) and Marzuki et al. (2012) reveal that product ingredi-
ents relate positively to the consumers’ purchase intention. It means that the
ingredients of products motivate consumers to choose or not choose any pro-
duct. Therefore, we hypothesized that,
H7: Product ingredients positively influence a consumer’s attitude to buy Halal
products.
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Halal certification/Halal logo

There are many studies focused on the Halal logo or certification (Shafie &
Othman, 2006). Awareness about the certification of food as Halal and pro-
motion of the brand value and recognition are important predictors
of purchase intention of Halal products by Muslim consumers (Aziz & Vui,
2012). For Muslim consumers, Halal certification is more important than
ISO or other similar certification. For Muslims, Halal-certified products bring
peace of mind. Certification is the examination of Halal food processes in its
preparation, from raw materials to product, including slaughtering, cleaning,
processing, handling, disinfecting, storing, transporting, and other management
practices. Mohayidin and Kamarulzaman (2014) and Nor and Daud (2012)
concluded that certification of food as Halal that is purchased by consumers
must be ensured. According to Guntalee and Unahannda (2005), to show that
the products are religiously lawful, producers and manufacturers must show the
Halal symbol or Halal certification. The Halal logo certifies the Islamic stan-
dards, which are permissible by Shariah. Since the Halal logo is important to
differentiate between Halal and non-Halal products, we hypothesize that,
H8: Halal logo perception of a consumer positively influences his/her attitude to
choose Halal products.

Religious factor
Religion plays an important role in shaping the lives, beliefs, and attitudes
of people (Rehman & Shabbir, 2010). According to Johnstone (1975), religion
is a system of practices and beliefs that guide groups of people to respond to
its teachings as a result of interpretations of its principles. The impact of reli-
gion on the consumption of food depends on the teachings of the religion
 10 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

itself to the individuals who follow that religion (Lada et al., 2009). Religion
can influence the attitudes of consumers and their behaviors (Delener,
1994). Religious consumers often make purchasing decisions and form eating
habits based on their religious piety, especially in the consumption of animal
products (Bonne & Verbeke, 2008; Mullen, Williams, & Hunt, 2000;
Shatenstein & Ghadirian, 1998). The role of religion is very significant and
influential in consumer behavior, and it is worthwhile to look closer at its effect
on the purchasing intentions of consumers to choose products (Dali et al., 2007;
Shaharudin et al., 2010). Moreover, Mukhtar and Butt (2012) and Mohamed
and Daud (2012) conclude that consumers choose food products according
to their interest in religion. In Halal consumption research, the religious
factor is an important factor for Muslim consumers; therefore, its influence
on their Halal purchase intention can bring very meaningful results, and
accordingly we hypothesize that,
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H9: The religious factor positively influences consumer’s purchase intention of

Halal products.

Objectives of the research

The primary objective of this research is to test the TRA in explaining the
effect of different variables such as processing, the Halal logo, ingredients,
health consciousness, perceived value, food safety concern, and the religious
factor on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions. Finally, how do all
these factors determine consumer-buying behavior toward Halal products?
For example, the model in Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of this
study.

Figure 1. Proposed model.

 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 11

Methodology
To analyze the relationship among variables, we used measurement scales and
followed the sampling procedure to collect, test, and present collected data
from respondents, and we discuss the pilot study, the required and important
statistical tests, and the data results.

Measures
Based on previous literature, we utilized questionnaire items from past studies
(Dali et al., 2007; Hashim et al., 2009; Lada et al., 2009; Nooh et al., 2008;
Shaharudin et al., 2010; Talib, Ali, & Jamaludin, 2008). The variables of the
study were operationalized using different item scales. For example, a five-
item scale was used to measure ingredient construct, a four-item scale was
used for processes, a five-item scale was used for the Halal logo, a seven-item
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scale was used for health consciousness, a six-item scale was used for
perceived value, a five-item scale was used for food safety concern, a five-item
scale was used for religious factor construct, a three-item scale was used for
consumer’s attitude factor, and a three-item scale was used for intention to
purchase construct. The questionnaire consists of two parts; Part 1 asks the
respondents about their demographics, and part 2 consists of the statement
of the variables. All the statements were measured on a Likert scale from 1
(Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Considering the importance
of consumers’ Halal product perceptions, two qualitative methods (participant
observation and unstructured interviews) are also used. The selected qualitat-
ive methods are useful for in-depth exploration and prediction of phenomena
(Marshall & Rossman, 2010). For example, it took a month to observe those
consumers who were buying, selling, using, and consuming Halal products
in different locations. Before the questionnaire distribution, unstructured
interviews were then conducted with the potential respondents to know their
perceptions about Halal products in general.

Pilot study
To purify measurement scale items and to analyze perceptions of consumers
about Halal products, a pilot study was conducted before the distribution of
the questionnaire. After unstructured interviews and in-depth discussions
with respondents and consumers, a self-administrated questionnaire was
distributed among 66 respondents, who were randomly selected. We asked
respondents about the vagueness and ambiguity of the wording and concepts
of the scale items.
Further, three academic researchers were contacted to assess and evaluate
the measures of the constructs to confirm face and content validity. The scale
 12 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

items were then modified based on their suggestion and expert opinions. All of
the 43 items of the questionnaire in the pilot study were found to be reliable
when testing their reliability with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences
(SPSS). Items have achieved reliability by a value of 0.798, that is greater than
the acceptable value of 0.60 recommended by Nunnally (1978).

Sampling and data collection procedure

The respondents of the current study were residents of the twin cities
(Rawalpindi and Islamabad) of Pakistan, aged 18 to 40 years. They were people
of different age groups who sell, buy, use, and consume different products.
According to the research objectives and importance, the total of 500
questionnaires were distributed among the selected sample. The survey
was administrated through face-to-face interviews. For additional insights, con-
venience-sampling techniques were used to obtain a response from a large
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number of available respondents. Many researchers prefer this technique of

sampling because it is easy, fast, and inexpensive to measure response, from
respondents (Castillo, 2009). A total of 282 (56.4%) of 500 questionnaires
were received, coded, presented, and analyzed with SPSS.

Data analysis and results

To analyze the collected data, different statistical tests such as frequency
distribution, Cronbach’s a, and Pearson correlation were used. Moreover,
for model fit, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was carried out. Statistical
Package for Social Statistics (SPSS Version 15.0) and Structural Equation
Modelling Analysis (SEM) software AMOS Version 15.0 were uszed for
that purpose. This section presents the results and findings, with data and
information are presented in both text and tables. Demographic information,
reliability, and validity analysis and correlation results are discussed as follows.
Table 1 shows information about age, gender, marital status, income level,
and education of the subjects. For example, there were 50 respondents
younger than 25 years (17.7%) and 101 aged 26 to 30 years (35%). The
majority were male respondents (162, 57.4%), and 154 were married (154,
54.6%). Respondents with a graduate level of education numbered 153
(54.3%), and the highest income-level respondents were earning between
US$10,000 and US$40,000.

Correlation and reliability results

Table 2 shows the reliability coefficients and the interrelationship between the
factors. We used Cronbach’s a score to determine the internal reliability con-
sistency significance and Pearson correlation test of statistics to determine the
correlation. For example, as shown, all the a values are above the acceptable
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 13

Table 1. Profile of respondents.

Profile Category Respondents Percentage
Age (yr) <25 50 17.7
26–30 101 35.8
31–35 81 28.7
36–40 50 17.7
Gender Male 154 54.6
Female 128 45.4
Education Intermediate 17 6.0
Bachelor’s 153 54.3
Master’s 99 35.1
MS/MPhil 13 4.6
Marital status Married 154 54.6
Unmarried 128 45.4
Level of income (in US$) <10,000 54 19.1
10,001 to 40,000 136 48.2
40,001 to 100,000 75 26.6
>100,000 17 6.0
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and recommended values of 0.50 to 0.70 based on Nunnally (1978).

In addition, the relationship between independent and dependent variables
is also significant.

Normality of data and multicollinearity

Since a large sample responded to the survey of this study, it is essential to
determine the normality of the data. To test the normality, we used the toler-
ance test and variance inflation factor (VIF). The results of these methods are
presented in Table 3 and show that none of the tolerance levels are �0.01
(Fidell & Tabachnick, 2006) and that all the VIF values are below 10 (Rogerson,
2001). Hence, it is concluded that the data collected to assess the selected
variables in this study are normal and do not indicate multicollinearity.

Measurement model testing

We used CFA, which is the alternate of exploratory factor analysis (EFA),
to measure the model. For example, EFA may be appropriate for scale

Table 2. Intercorrelation results (n ¼ 282).

No. of
Variable items Alpha ITP CA REL P ING FSC HC PV HL
ITP 3 .730 1
CA 3 .686 .443** 1
REL 5 .692 .544** .067 1
P 4 .707 .522** .555** .299** 1
ING 5 .624 .524** .585** .231** .622** 1
FSC 5 .612 .262** –.060 .036 .305** .349** 1
HC 7 .894 .247** .144* .107 .476** .493** .535** 1
PV 6 .689 .531** .361** .186** .570** .585** .516** .551** 1
HL 5 .527 .561** .478** .258** .640** .791** .473** .618** .745** 1
**Correlation is significant at the .01 level (two-tailed).
 14 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

Table 3. Test of collinearity.

Variable Tolerance VIF
Customer’s attitude 0.505 1.982
Food safety concern 0.434 2.304
Halal logo 0.842 1.188
Health consciousness 0.307 3.259
Ingredients 0.224 4.472
Perceived value 0.451 2.216
Processing 0.548 1.824
Religious factor 0.391 2.557

development; however, whenever possible, where measurement models have

a well-developed underlying theory for hypothesized patterns of loadings,
CFA would be preferred (Kenny, 2012; Matsunaga, 2010). The nine-factor
model shows an adequate fit (see Figure 2). The v2 statistic is 1336.128
(degrees of freedom ¼ 712, p < 0.001), with the v2/df ratio having a value of
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1.876, which is less than 2.0, indicating a good fit. The goodness of fit index
(GFI) is 0.820 and adjusted goodness of fit index (AGFI) is 0.793, meaning
a moderate fit (Watson, Pitt, & Kavan, 1998). The comparative fit index
(CFI) is 0.899, and the Tucker-Lewis coefficient (TLI) is 0.889. These scores
are close to 0.90, which is an excellent fit (Gerbing & Anderson, 1992).
The RMSEA value is 0.054, which is less than 0.08 and thus indicates a good
fit (Steiger, 1990). All canonical correlations show a value less than 1.0,
implying that the discriminate validity has been tested and is acceptable.

Figure 2. Measurement model results.

 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 15

Figure 3. Structural model results.

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Structural model testing

When the validity of measurement model is achieved and goodness-of-fit is
also satisfied, the model is ready for the next analysis, which is structural
model testing. For example, the results suggest that the hypothesized model
demonstrates adequate goodness-of-fit. Therefore, within the overall model,
the estimates of the structural coefficients result provide a basis for testing
the specified hypotheses of the study. Hypotheses are tested by examining
the magnitude of the standardized estimates and significance levels of paths
that link independent variables with dependent variables. All the factors
associated with a consumer’s attitude to choose and purchase Halal products
are positively correlated, except the Halal logo (HLOG) and health conscious-
ness (HCON), which are found to be negatively related, as shown in Figure 3.
Goodness of fit of the measures and regression weights results are summarized
in Table 4 and Table 5, respectively.

Hypothesis results
In order to meet the Halal specifications, producers must do everything
in the production process (Guntalee & Unahannda, 2005). In our study, after
computing the regression weights, the relation between processing and consu-
mer’s attitude toward choosing Halal products is found positively related.
Regression model results between P→CA with r ¼ 0.309 and a significance
value of p < 0.05 indicate that the relationship between processing and
consumer’s attitude is positively related; therefore, we accept this hypothesis.

Table 4. Goodness of fit of the measures.

v2 df v2/df GFI AGFI TLI CFI RMSEA
1336.28 712 1.876 0.820 0.793 0.889 0.899 0.054
 16 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

Table 5. Regression weights.

Hypothesis Model variables Estimate S.E. Critical ratio P-value Result
H1 CA ← P .309 .057 5.383 *** Supported
H2 CA ← HLOG −.082 .072 −1.148 .251 Not supported
H3 CA ← ING .411 .071 5.802 *** Supported
H4 ITP ← HCON −.104 .051 −2.043 .041 Not supported
H5 ITP ← PV .352 .061 5.769 *** Supported
H6 ITP ← FSC .162 .047 3.437 *** Supported
H7 ITP ← REL .278 .023 11.840 *** Supported
H8 ITP ← CA .361 .047 7.698 *** Supported

These results are consistent with the findings of Marzuki et al. (2012) and
Dali et al. (2007) that consumers trust and then they buy those products
that are processed according to Halal specifications.
The Halal logo received universal recognition to influence consumers’
attitude toward choosing and purchasing Halal products. In the current
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case, our hypothesis assumed that there is a positive relationship between the
Halal logo and consumers’ attitude toward choosing Halal products. An HL →
CA relationship in regression model was found (r ¼ − 0.082) with (p > 0.05)
negative. Therefore, this hypothesis is rejected. It confirms other studies like
that of Mohayidin and Kamarulzaman (2014), which found that consumers
rarely trust uncertified Halal logos that are present in the market. Therefore,
there is a need for the authority to certify the genuineness of Halal.
Perceptions about the ingredients of products are the main concern
for consumers when choosing food products. Exclusively Halal products
inhabit pure and hygienic ingredients that protect human health from
unhealthiness. To know how much consumers think and perceive to protect
themselves from such unhealthy ingredients, we tested its relationship with
consumer attitude. The results of regression model support and accept this
hypothesis (ING → CA) with r ¼ 0.411 and p < 0.05. Our results confirmed
the findings of previous studies that consumers pay more attention to the
ingredients in the products and that the products should not contain illegal
ingredients (Dali et al., 2007).
Health consciousness is an important attribute that leads to consumers’
intention to purchase any product, especially food products. Relationship
HC → ITP with r ¼ − 0.104 and p > 0.05 in regression model weights indicates
that there is a negative relationship between health consciousness and
purchase intention of Halal products. Therefore, we reject this hypothesis.
It means that our results do not support this relationship. In addition, our
results are not consistent with previous research findings of Shaharudin
et al. (2010), in which they found a positive relationship of health conscious-
ness with consumers’ purchase intention of Halal products. One of the main
reasons behind the negative relationship may be the lack of consumers’
awareness about health issues. For example, the majority of the people
in Pakistan are poor; they make every effort for survival and thus eat any
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 17

kind of food. Although they prefer Halal products, they lack the primary
objective of being healthy.
To see the relationship whether between the perceived value of Halal pro-
ducts and their intention to choose Halal products by consumers in Pakistan
is positive, the regression weights indicate a positive relationship of PV → ITP
with r ¼ 0.352 and p < 0.05. It shows that we accept the hypothesis. The
results are consistent with the findings of Shaharudin et al. (2010).
For example, they found a positive relationship of perceived value with con-
sumers’ intention to purchase organic food. Our study results confirmed that
perceived value positively relates to intention to choose Halal products.
Concerns about food safety of consumers are one of the important factors
that trigger their mind to think how much that product is important and
safe for their health. To see the relationship between food safety concern and
the intention to purchase Halal products, the current study found a positive
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relationship between these two variables (FSC → ITP; r ¼ 0.162) with a signifi-
cant value of p < 0.05. Therefore, we accept this hypothesis. These results are
consistent with the findings of Shaharudin et al. (2010) in which they found a
positive relationship of food safety concern of consumers with their purchase
intention. However, our findings contradict the study of Norhabibah (2011),
in which no relationship of consumers’ food safety concern with their inten-
tion to purchase Halal products was found.
While choosing and purchasing Halal products, it is important for every
Muslim to know the teachings and principles of Islam to purchase and use
food products. In this regard, to relate religion with the purchase intention
of Halal products, we found that there is a positive relationship between
consumer perception of religion and their intentions to purchase Halal
(i.e., REL → ITP) values of estimates in regression model are r ¼ 0.278 with
a significant value of p < 0.05; we accept this hypothesis. Our results confirm
the findings of previous studies by Mukhtar and Butt (2012) and Nor and
Daud (2012) that religion plays an important role in choosing Halal
products.
The attitude of the consumer is one of the important factors of the TRA—
the presumed assumption to see the relationship of consumers’ attitude
toward Halal products and its effect on intention to purchase (CA →ITP)
Halal food products in the Pakistani scenario. Consistent with the studies
of Lada et al. (2009) and Alam and Sayuti (2011), the regression results of
the model estimates reveal a positive relationship between those two factors
(r ¼ 0.361) and a significant value (p < 0.05). Therefore, we accept the hypoth-
esis that there is a positive relationship between consumers’ attitudes toward
choosing Halal products and intent to purchase Halal products.
Findings revealed that all the selected factors positively determined consu-
mers’ Halal perceptions. In addition, their opinion has been successfully mea-
sured by using the factors to influence their attitude and purchase intention to
 18 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

buy or not buy Halal food and nonfood products. In this way, according to
the TRA, (Ajzen & Fishbein, 1980), positive intention of consumer or consu-
mers reveals that their behavior toward any action will also be positive; that is
called the continuity of any habit in the future. Therefore, as per the findings,
we conclude and accept the hypothesis that intention to purchase is positively
related to their behavior to purchase Halal products.

Discussion
Pakistani consumers are very sensitive to purchasing and using different pro-
ducts. They place an important concern on different factors that divert their
purchase intention of those products. They prefer certain ingredients of the
products and give importance to perceived value and processes that are used
in the manufacturing of such products.
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The results revealed important understandings about the purchase of Halal

products. For example, it has been found that the processing of food products
should be stringent and hygienic. There should be sanitation and other
required processing of products that adhere to Halal dietary laws to make food
products lawful in Islam (Talib et al., 2008). Ingredients in food items should
not contain unpermitted sauces, aromas, and other elements such as pigments,
alcohol, or pig contents that predominantly make those food products harmful,
unlawful, or unhealthy for Muslim consumers (Omar et al., 2008).
The Halal logo or tag is one of the important factors that represent the leg-
ality and lawfulness of a product’s production, manufacturing, and ingredient
factors. Interestingly, results have not supported its relationship with the atti-
tude of consumers to purchase Halal products. It may be because the majority
of the Pakistanis are Muslims and therefore they believe that products and
food items produced and manufactured by companies are Halal and require
no Halal logo to be authenticated as Halal. In addition, the relationship of
health consciousness with intention to purchase was not supported either.
The rationale behind the insignificant support between these two variables is
because of the fact that Pakistan is a developing country, people are not con-
scious about their health, and government is not working to create awareness
about using healthy food. Apart from the Halal logo and heath consciousness,
the influence of all other factors on a consumer’s attitude and intention to pur-
chase Halal products in Pakistan is found to be positive. Therefore, it means that
Pakistani consumers give importance to the factors that help them evaluate pro-
ducts to be Halal. As a result, it leads to influence their intention and attitude to
buy and use those products without hassle and worry.
As far as the application and validity of TRA, the research team found that
this theory provides effective results in order to receive the opinions and per-
ceptions of Muslim consumers about Halal product purchase and use. Data
results proved that it is a valid theory to measure the intention and actual
 JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FOOD & AGRIBUSINESS MARKETING 19

behavior of those consumers. Thus, this theory has been found to be appli-
cable and validated to measure Muslim consumers’ intention and behavior
in current research.

Managerial and theoretical implications

From the academic point of view, current research would help researchers and
academicians by enhancing their knowledge about the utilization and the
applicability of TRA. Moreover, it will provide new insights into research
knowledge about the other important factors to be investigated more in depth
in future studies. This research will allow researchers to bridge the research gap
by comparing Halal and non-Halal perceptions of consumers in the future.
From the marketer’s point of view, the current study will help marketing
managers and policy makers to understand consumers’ purchasing behavior.
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The findings will help them learn about the most influential factors stimulate
their purchase decisions of Halal products. Halal perceptions of consumers
have a potential to be used by companies to gain a competitive advantage
(Amin & Chong, 2011). Halal is not only a concept; it is also a belief of more
than 1.97 billion Muslims. Both local and foreign manufacturers and produ-
cers should incorporate lawful and legal factors in producing and manufactur-
ing products that are acceptable to not only Muslims but also to the people
and consumers who purchase hygienic and pure products. Halal is important
not only to analyze and investigate by researchers but also to rationalize the
thinking of marketers, producers and governments to incorporate effective
strategies in producing and marketing Halal products compared with non-
Halal products in both Muslim and non-Muslim countries (Alam & Sayuti,
2011). It is expected that marketers of Halal products will definitely work to
carry out manufacturing, and marketing strategies by incorporating the needs
and wants of consumers into the products to fulfill Halal needs of consumers.
Moreover, from the investment point of view, the Pakistani Halal products
market consists of more than 180 million consumers. The findings of this
research suggest numerous investment opportunities for foreign companies
in the future. Therefore, it is suggested that there will be profitable opportu-
nities for foreign companies to invest in this promising and growing Halal
market.

Future research
In future studies, the extension of the proposed model will be of worthy
research contribution. Moreover, it has been thought that religion is an
important factor that either stops or permits any human being to perform
any action or not. Therefore, cross-cultural comparative study of developing
and developed Muslim country consumers will be of high value of research in
 20 I. HUSSAIN ET AL.

the future. Halal food consumption is one of the critical problems for consu-
mers in the Western world. Though there are many companies serving Mus-
lim consumers residing in European countries, consumers have a vague belief
about processing, the ingredients, and the authenticity of food items. Keeping
in mind such issues, future research on investigating the opinion of such con-
sumers about Halalness is important. Halal food processing and manufactur-
ing are clean and pure, so not only Muslim consumers but also consumers of
all other beliefs consider eating and using those products. Predicting the per-
ceptions of those consumers will be also worthy in future studies. In addition,
current research did not prove the effectiveness of such factors as Halal logo
and health consciousness. It may be context specific that consumers overlook
Halal logo, or they may not be well educated to make rational decisions to
purchase healthy food. These findings suggest that there is a need of investi-
gating consumers’ awareness of religious information and the importance of
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consuming healthy food and nonfood products in the context of Halal. Therefore,
these factors must be considered in future research.

Contributors
Iftikhar Hussain is a student of Masters in Management sciences in Iqra University Islamabad
campus, Pakistan.

Saleem ur Rahman is a Doctoral student in the Department of Marketing, University of

Vaasa, Vaasa, Finland.

Arshad Zaheer is Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Sciences, Iqra

University Islamabad campus, Pakistan.

Salman Saleem is a Doctoral student in the Department of Marketing, Vaasa University,

Vaasa, Finland.

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