The Malay Middle Class: Culture and Syariah in the Consumption of Foods

Author: Kartini Aboo Talib @ Khalid
Year: 2021
Title: The Malay Middle Class: Culture and Syariah in the Consumption of Foods
UKM Ethnic Studies Paper Series No. 66 (August)
ISBN: 978-967-0741-68-0

This article examines the consumption of foods among the middle-class Malays in Malaysia and the marketing of new food products that have been constructed to meet the halal certification. Foods are reconstructed to allow the more significant market consumption based on culture and religion. This research utilizes the qualitative method through narrative stories from respondents to conceptualize the changing marketing strategies. The findings highlight that human desire for a new taste of foods urges the manufacturers to be creative in producing new food products that are syariah compliant. It also creates a modern lifestyle and demands the community to be more integrated and supported by different ethnic groups. This paper offers new insights into foods consumption and marketing strategies influenced by religion, culture, norms, income, and health. The halal food industries may venture into fresh foods products, including oriental and occidental, that are constructed to meet the demands of the Muslim communities.

Keywords: marketing strategies, syariah compliance, foods, culture, ethnicity

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