We examined the potential of virgin coconut oil (VCO) incorporated in gellan gum (GG) films as a dressing material. Pure GG film is extremely brittle and inclusion of 0.3% (w/w) VCO in the GG film (GG-VCO3) improved the toughness (T≈0.67±0.33 J g−1) of the composite films. Swelling properties and water vapor transmission rates of GG-VCO composite films decreased, whereas thermal behavior values increased upon the addition of higher concentrations of VCO. Cell studies exhibit that the VCO is noncytotoxic to human skin fibroblast cells (CRL2522) with limited cell growth observed on GG-VCO3 films at 1,650 cells/well after incubation for 72 h which could be due to hydrophobic influence of the material surface. The qualitative andin vitroquantitative antibacterial results revealed that VCO does not possess strong bacterial resistance against all four tested bacteria, that is, two Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Proteus mirabilis).
Purpose This study aims to explore the challenges of getting halal certification for restaurants in north-eastern Thailand. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative research approach was adopted to analyse the collected data. The research procedures and the interview questions were examined by the Ethics Committee for Research involving human subjects. In total, 10 restaurant owners were interviewed. Then, the interviews were transcribed, coded and grouped by using thematic analysis while the ATLAS ti. software was used for qualitative data analysis. The theme was finalised by three intercoder agreements. Findings The three challenges of obtaining halal certification among restaurants in north-eastern Thailand were the complicated process of getting halal certification, lack of restaurant owner commitment and high halal certification fee. Research limitations/implications The number of halal-certified restaurants are limited. Some restaurants refused to renew halal status but their information is still displayed on the halal authority website. Not only the number of restaurants but also time-limited. Further, a quantitative phase for prioritising was suggested. Practical implications The study can be beneficial to the halal authority and business holders as the two main stakeholders. The findings can be used to plan or develop halal strategies to increase the quality of halal restaurants. As informants mentioned common challenges, the findings could be applied as guidelines for a new business holder keen on halal implementation. Originality/value This research demonstrated the challenges of halal certification in a non-Muslim country, focussing on the north-eastern region of Thailand. The findings will add value to a potential business area. Therefore, the highlighted challenges could provide a novelty and be useful for Muslim marketing.
The concept of saturation is deemed necessary in qualitative research;however, existing literature discussing the point of saturation is relativelyscant. Previous qualitative studies tend to describe the point of saturationbut fail to demonstrate how the saturation occurred. This article providesevidence on how qualitative research might report the point of datasaturation. The original study consists of a mixed method approach todevelop and validate an instrument for measuring offshore cateringemployees’ job satisfaction. Notably, this paper reports a part of thequalitative portion of a mixed-method study. Using the data from a studyinvolving 13 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, this study documentsthe degree of data saturation over the course of thematic analysis anddemonstrates how data saturation was operationalised. Although the studyreported 13 interviews, the saturation occurred within 12 interviews. Thestudy findings are not extensively discussed; however, adequate informationabout the study background, data collection and sample characteristics areincluded. The technique presented in this paper provides practical guidancefor qualitative researchers in reporting point of saturation. However, itis recommended that the evidence of data saturation occurred after 12interviews should be applied with caution due to several factors
The food and beverage business is a vital part of the tourism sector. This was among the top five sources of income for Thailand, worth 448 billion baht in 2015, and may continually increase due to the expansion of the tourism industry. More than 20 million tourists visit Thailand every year, so tourist attractions should have a variety of restaurants that should not only have food that tastes great, but also excellent service and hygienic conditions. Therefore, halal certification for food services is required when halal tourism becomes significant. Having halal status would provide a competitive advantage and accommodate the expanding market share among Muslim and non-Muslim customers. However, there is an emerging opportunity for halal restaurants, with the number of halal establishments in some regions of Thailand being inadequate for people who want to try halal food. Furthermore, some halal restaurants run by Muslim owners are not certified by a halal certification body. The objectives of this paper are to review literature on halal certification and to provide recommendations and guidelines on the opportunities in establishing a halal restaurant in Thailand. Finally, we will look into the importance of the halal status in attracting more Muslim and non-Muslim restaurant owners who have not been certified halal yet to apply for the certification.
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