Exploring the Moderating Role of Religiosity in Shaping Non-Muslims' Attitudes Toward Halal-certified Food in Indonesia

Over the past five years, the Indonesian government has implemented various halal initiatives, including halal certification for food products, aimed at meeting the needs of Muslim consumers. However, the acceptance and attitudes of non-Muslims toward halal-certified food remain unclear. This study seeks to examine the influence of halal knowledge, interaction with Muslims, and religiosity on non-Muslims’ attitudes toward halal-certified food. Additionally, it evaluates the moderating role of religiosity in the proposed model. The study employs Partial Least Square – Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to test the hypotheses empirically. The results reveal that both halal knowledge and interaction with Muslims have a significant and positive impact on non-Muslims’ attitudes toward halal-certified food in Indonesia. Conversely, religiosity does not play a significant role, either as a direct predictor or as a moderating variable. In other words, religiosity does not influence non-Muslims’ attitudes toward halal-certified food in Indonesian context. These findings suggest that businesses need not fear losing non-Muslim customers when labeling their products with halal certification, as non-Muslims in Indonesia generally hold a relatively positive attitude toward such products.