Halal Certification Awareness Perceptions in Indonesian Food SMEs: An Investigation on Understanding, Knowledge, Impact, and Regulations

The importance of Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) perception towards halal food certification needs to be evaluated. This study aims to assess food SMEs perception of their understanding, knowledge, impact, and regulation of halal certificates. Understanding halal food certification is important in the context of obedience to halal food standards and SMEs business continuity. As many as 67 SMEs that produce food and beverages in Malang City, Indonesia, were surveyed to collect relevant data. This survey consists of 4 factors and 19 indicator questions, using a Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Analysis shows that SMEs have a high understanding and confidence toward halal products and recognize the importance of halal certification. However, this study's main discovery is that SMEs know little about halal food regulation and socialization. This discovery implies that socialization and education about procedures and rules need extra effort. This study contributes to SMEs' perception of halal food certification in Indonesia. It highlights the challenges SMEs face towards halal certification in Indonesia to increase obedience toward halal standards.