Jollibee is one of the leading food brands in the Philippines. However, it has also explored the international market, expanding in most parts of Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North America, and in some parts of Europe.
With its scope and reach extending in various parts of the world, one of the challenges the brand has to address is how to provide suitable products for a diverse market in some parts of the world, where there are more than one nationality, religion, and culture.
Jollibee-Malaysia Receives Official Halal Certification
In line with this, Jollibee-Malaysia has now received official halal certification by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), as shared in a report by the Borneo Post.
According to its general manager, Khairul Nidzam Abu Bakar, Jollibee, which opened in Malaysia in December 2018, has always aimed for the satisfaction of its customers.
Abu Bakar said, “With the growing demand for halal food and products from different sectors of consumers, receiving this halal certification manifests the fruit of our efforts to please our customers.”
He noted that though the certification will provide them a major edge in a predominantly-Muslim market, the certification did not happen overnight; in fact, they had to undergo a rigorous a six-month accreditation process to ensure strict adherence to halal standards as governed by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
For his part, Jollibee restaurant manager, Shahzul Izzil Sham Al-Rashid Zulkefli acknowledged that halal compliance is a stamp of quality and wellbeing and the halal certification helped to ensure, create and build trust among the customers for the well-loved Filipino brand.
Mr. Zulkefli shared, “As for Jollibee Malaysia, we are sure that the safety requirements are implemented accordingly which results in quality foods.”
At present, Jollibee is the dominant market leader in the Philippines, with a store network bigger than its next two competitors combined.
It has grown to over 230 international branches including in the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Vietnam, Singapore, Brunei, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia and the special territories of Hong Kong and Macau.
Jollibee champions the Filipino taste, and wherever Filipinos are, there will surely be a market to back the brand. However, Jollibee’s vision to expand overseas does not only hope to consider the Filipino market in a country but even the non-Filipino market, as well.
In a country such as Malaysia where there is close to 800,000 Filipinos as of 2016, Jollibee’s move to become halal-certified will greatly expand its market reach in the Islamic state.
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