A bibliometric analysis of challenges and pathways to global recognition for integrating circular economy principles into sustainable Halal product development

This bibliometric research explores the incorporation of the CE concept in sustainable Halal product development, addressing challenges of achieving global market acknowledgement. Scopus and Web of science databases were used to extract 376 peer-reviewed literature spanning 2011–2025 by means of a specific Boolean string addressing CE, Halal certification, Business model innovation and sustainability. Coupled with de-duplication, through stringent screening following PRISMA guideline, keyword co-occurrence analysis, captured three main clusters of themes, namely “innovation”, “business” and “strategic approach”, plus three clusters of emergent themes capturing the Cluster of “human”, “certification” and “client”. 92 article publications were the highest in the year 2024, while the Journal of Cleaner Production and Sustainability (Switzerland) had 33 articles each. China led in the number of articles with 108 articles and 4776 citations, while the United Kingdom had the highest average citations/article with 120.6. The current findings showed insufficient end-of-life CE practice (reuse, recycle, refurbish) among Halal small and medium sized enterprises was a notable hindrance to fulfilling SDG 12 and the mandatory EU report on sustainable practice. This was despite Malaysia’s Madani policy integration. The inclusion of CE considerations into Halal certification standards can provide Malaysian SMEs with global market access, balanced nvironmental impact, and achievement of interconnected SDGs such as SDG 1 (poverty alleviation) and SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth). This research also offers Malaysia a tested thematic framework, illustrative best practices, and policy briefs for reinforcing the country’s status as a major contributor in sustainable Halal certification.