Anti-consumption of non-Muslims towards halal foods: a social media thematic analysis

Purpose Social media plays an important role in ingroup-outgroup dynamics and related consumption patterns, in multicultural societies. This study aims to explore how the opinions of non-Muslims, shared on social media, result in the anti-consumption of Halal foods.. Design/methodology/approach The authors mapped the opinions of non-Muslims from three different platforms – Facebook, YouTube and Twitter –shared between 2011 and 2021. The data were collected using NVivo software and analyzed through thematic analysis. Findings Six themes emerged as influencing anti-consumption of Halal food by non-Muslims. It was found that Animosity, Islamophobia, Animal welfare concerns and Misperceptions drive anti-consumption. However, acculturation and knowledge about Halal reduce Halal anti-consumption. The overall thematic analysis showed that non-Muslims have negative opinions about Halal foods. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to use and compare data from three different social media platforms in examining the anti-consumption of Halal products by non-Muslims. Its main contribution lies in advancing the development of anti-consumption theory. The findings are relevant to both general food and Halal food marketers, as well as to public policymakers in multicultural societies.