Embedded Files
Evaluating Public Response to Our Halal Awareness Campaign
INTRODUCTION
As part of our halal food awareness campaign, we reached out to 37 respondents, including local consumers and students, to assess the impact of our digital materials. These materials included:
The Verify Halal app
An illustrated halal control point (HCP) flow chart
Social media infographics and tutorial videos
We conducted this engagement through in-person demonstrations, digital surveys, and informal interviews, aiming to gauge public understanding of halal certification and collect feedback to improve both our campaign and the Verify Halal app itself.
1. Knowledge & Understanding
Most participants reported an increased understanding of halal verification, especially in relation to processed foods, certification bodies, and non-meat ingredients.
“I learned that halal isn’t just about meat. It’s also about ingredients, manufacturing, and certification.”
“The campaign really clarified why certification bodies differ and why we should check each product.”
Some respondents already had moderate knowledge but appreciated the deeper explanation through our visuals:
“I already knew the basics, but the flowchart helped deepen my understanding.”
“It was a nice refresher, but I wanted more depth on the certifier differences.”
2. App Usability & Features
Feedback on the Verify Halal app was largely positive:
✅ Strengths:
Fast QR scanning with instant results
Simple color-coded interface (green if it was halal and red if it wasn't found halal)
Trusted source: data linked to JAKIM and international certifiers
“Scanning the QR code was lightning fast. It gave a green ‘halal’ or red ‘not found’ message.”
“The database is clearly linked to official certifiers. That builds trust.”
⚠️ Suggestions for improvement:
App lag on older devices
Lack of certification expiry dates
Desire for hygiene ratings or confidence indicators
“Sometimes the app freezes on older phones.”
“It’d be great if you showed the date of certification expiry.”
3. Flow Chart & Campaign Materials
The halal control point flow chart was described as intuitive and informative by many:
“The flowchart walked me through each checking step.”
Our Instagram posts were also praised for clarity and shareability:
“Infographics were visually appealing and easy to share with my family.”
🔁 Suggestions:
Icons too small on mobile devices
Add a narrated version for visually impaired users
4. Social Media Impact
Participants responded well to our social media campaign, especially video demos and Instagram posts.
“The posts with scanning demos sparked my interest in downloading the app.”
“It was so easy to understand. In fact, I even forwarded them to my family.”
🔎 Ideas for engagement:
Add interactive elements like quizzes and polls
Keep videos short. If possible, under 30 seconds
Include clear calls to action like “Scan now!”
“Subtitles would help. Audio was unclear in one video.”
“A quiz or interactive poll on Instagram would make posts more engaging.”
5. Trust & Confidence
Respondents appreciated that the app draws directly from JAKIM’s database, which increased their confidence in the results:
“I feel reassured because it’s backed by JAKIM.”
“Having cross‑country certifiers featured helped when I travelled.”
Still, some raised concerns about areas outside the app’s reach:
“I worry about uncertified local vendors because the app verification doesn't cover everything.”
“It’d be perfect if every ingredient had a confidence score or audit trail.”
6. Real-World Usage
Many participants reported using the app in real-life scenarios, such as grocery shopping and advising family members:
“I tested it in a supermarket. It helped me trust a new brand.”
“My parents now scan every canned product before buying.”
However, they also encountered real-world limitations:
No barcodes on some small-brand or market items
App doesn’t help with unlabelled street food
Poor internet access in rural areas affects usability
7. Suggested Improvements
Popular feature requests included:
Expiry date reminders
Offline mode for use in low-connectivity areas
User reporting features for missing or outdated data
Halal restaurant locator map
“Let users request updates if information is missing.”
“Include local religion‑based support, for example, halal restaurants, in a map format.”
8. Real-World Challenges
Participants highlighted several challenges with halal verification in daily life:
Inconsistent halal logos and potential counterfeit use
Small producers or market vendors don’t always have documentation
Language barriers for non-Malay speakers
Lack of barcode systems in informal markets
“Halal logos vary widely. Some may be counterfeit or inconsistent.”
“Dependency on connectivity: in remote areas, you might not get real-time verification.”
9. Final Sentiments
Most respondents expressed that the campaign successfully combined education with action. They felt better equipped to verify halal products in their daily lives.
“The combination of app, flow chart and social media really helped me understand and act.”
“This campaign meets both my head (education) and hands (app usage) needs.”
“I feel empowered to check anytime. Now I don't have to worry so much when I'm buying new products.”
How we collected the data
Here are examples of the questions used in our feedback form:
How familiar were you with the concept of halal certification before using the Verify Halal app?
( ) Not familiar ( ) Slightly familiar ( ) Moderately familiar ( ) Very familiar ( ) Expert
After viewing our production flow chart (from raw-material sourcing through distribution), how clear was each Halal Control Point (HCP 1–7)?
( ) Very unclear ( ) Somewhat unclear ( ) Neutral ( ) Clear ( ) Very clear
What feature of the Verify Halal app did you use most?
☐ Barcode scanner ☐ Ingredient search ☐ Certifier details ☐ OtherDo you think the information provided in our campaign (app + flow chart + posts) improved your knowledge about what makes food halal?
( ) Strongly disagree ( ) Disagree ( ) Neutral ( ) Agree ( ) Strongly agree
Outreach Session Highlights
We documented our campaign engagement sessions through photos taken during presentations, demonstrations, and participant interactions.
📂 Click below to view the full photo gallery on Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1uHkkWVt8iuNJcFHXQR32LgMM7-cP94Ws?usp=sharing
conclusion
In essence, this community engagement showed that digital halal tools, when combined with educational visuals and relatable content, can empower consumers to make informed decisions. The positive feedback validated our efforts, while constructive input highlighted areas to improve.
Our team hopes this campaign can inspire further use of the Verify Halal app across Malaysia and encourage innovation in digital halal education.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse