ASSESSING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM’S HALAL SUPERVISOR QUALIFICATION: BRIDGING SHARIAH COMPLIANCE AND TECHNICAL COMPETENCY

Abstract

The presence of halal food supervisors in halal-certified restaurants is crucial and is one of the requirements of halal certification. Additionally, the qualification assessment for halal food supervisors has increased scrutiny within the halal industry, especially in Brunei Darussalam. However, the issue of withdrawing halal certification was caused by the negligence of a few halal food supervisors, resulting in the revocation of the halal certificate after a restaurant was found to have breached halal certification standards, and this has raised doubts among the community. Therefore, this study aims to assess the qualification procedures of halal food supervisors by focusing on shariah aspect and technical competencies. A qualitative approach has been used for data collection involving five participants from Halal Food Control Division and Brunei Darussalam Food Authority that were involved in the semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis using NVivo software revealed two major themes, such as the regulatory and guideline framework, and strengthening compliance for food safety and hygiene. This study reveals that a comprehensive procedure guarantees supervisors are thoroughly assessed on their ability to adhere to halal standards and meanwhile the technical competencies include by implementing halalan thayyiban practices such as food safety and hygiene. Incorporating these competencies not only validates the supervisors’ expertise but also fosters trust among stakeholders, ensuring that the qualification process is reliable, ethical, and efficient.