Food Safety Challenges in Malaysia's Private Tahfiz Institutions: A Halalan Tayyiban Narrative Review of Gaps
Abstract
Food safety is relevant to every step in the food supply chain from farm to fork. Novel foodborne pathogens and the emergence of antimicrobial resistance are concerning health threats that challenge conventional food safety control measures. Investigation on food safety challenges in private Tahfiz institutions in Malaysia reveals that both financial and operational constraint is probably a factor that hampers the application of safe food handling and hygiene practice. However, there aren’t many academic studies that focus on food safety in private tahfiz institutions, which shows a big gap in research needed to create guidelines that fit their specific needs and religious practices. This narrative review aims to identify research gaps of food safety challenges in private tahfiz institutions from the Halalan Tayyiban perspective. The research was conducted using a narrative review framework to examine available text on challenges of food safety in private Tahfiz institutions in Malaysia, and particularly from the perspective of the Halalan Tayyiban principle. The narrative review revealed several food safety challenges in Malaysia's private tahfiz institutions as research gaps from the Halalan Tayyiban perspective, including: (a) widespread non-compliance with Halalan Tayyiban standards; (b) absence of standard operating procedures (SOPs); (c) limited access to training and certification; and (d) lack of institutional monitoring and enforcement. In conclusion, in this narrative review, the food safety challenges in private Tahfiz institutions in Malaysia are complex and interrelated to policy, practice and religious compliance, especially from the Halalan Tayyiban perspective.
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