Malaysia, 13 April 2023 – Food-lovers can now enjoy their halal food items delivered to them safely with bekal by foodpanda. This newly launched delivery fleet is the only one in Malaysia to be certified halal by the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim).
From the moment an order is placed with a halal-certified merchant on foodpanda to the minute the order is delivered to a customer’s doorstep, bekal by foodpanda safeguards the product’s halal integrity and purity across every step of the delivery process. To ensure the last-mile delivery stage of the online food delivery process is halal-compliant, bekal by foodpanda has built a dedicated fleet of delivery partners who have been equipped with special halal-compliant delivery bags and provided with specialised training on halal awareness and sertu (ritual cleansing).
“We’re seeing an increasing demand amongst customers for an end-to-end halal-certified delivery service, and it’s important that we could offer our customers the assurance they need. Today, I’m very proud that we’re the only halal-certified food delivery fleet in Malaysia. Being certified Halal means that all our customers can trust us the most when it comes to upholding the strictest of hygiene and food safety standards,” said bekal by foodpanda Chief Executive Officer Sayantan Das.
“Furthermore, our Muslim customers can rest assured that our dedicated Halal-certified fleet are the best-equipped riders in the country when it comes to delivering halal food in a safe and secure manner, without ever putting the food at risk of cross-contamination with other non-halal products,” he added.
For many of foodpanda’s halal-certified merchant partners and brands, bekal by foodpanda will be the only halal-certified delivery partner that maintains the end-to-end halal integrity of their products and brand. Non-halal-certified merchants can also look forward to plans by bekal by foodpanda to provide halal training and coaching certification in support of the Government’s priorities in growing the ecosystem of halal vendors.
Officiating the launch of bekal by foodpanda in Cyberjaya yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dato’ Dr. Mohd Na’im Bin Mokhtar said, “I am pleased to see bekal by foodpanda stepping up to the forefront of the food delivery sector in taking the halal initiative seriously. This platform will bolster the Government agenda in helping small and medium enterprises become active participants in the domestic and global halal economy, providing them with digitalisation support along the way.”
bekal by foodpanda piloted in Putrajaya in 2022, with plans to expand to other neighbourhoods across Malaysia in the coming months. The pilot received an overwhelmingly positive response from customers, merchant partners and delivery partners alike.
“With the halal certificate, we are proud to be able to contribute further to the local halal economy directly. It is estimated that the halal food sector in Malaysia will be worth RM201.02 billion by 2025, and we want to demonstrate our commitment to our Muslim customers that bekal by foodpanda is fully equipped to ensure the purity of their halal food items, even when they order food online from foodpanda. We are glad to be in a position to give them the comfort that they can order and consume their food items with peace of mind,” Sayantan said.
The halal industry is expected to contribute 8.1 per cent to Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generate export revenue of RM56 billion according to the 12th Malaysia Plan. Identified by the Government as a strategic and high-impact sector, the development of the local halal industry is poised to tap into the global halal market which is estimated to reach RM22.34 trillion by 2030.
bekal by foodpanda currently operates in Putrajaya and will be expanded into all areas in Klang Valley by July 2023, with an eventual nationwide roll-out planned. Customers within the bekal by foodpanda delivery zones can order their food items from halal-certified merchant partners listed on the dedicated ‘bekal’ section on the app. The merchant partners under the programme will be tagged ‘halal’ on the foodpanda app.