<![CDATA[Purpose: This study examines whether sellers' religious identity functions as an observable halal signal in informal food markets when Muslim consumers have limited access to formal, verifiable halal information. Drawing on Signaling Theory, the study conceptually investigates how seller religious identity shapes consumers' perceived halalness and consumer trust in the informal food market of Tembilahan, Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach: The study adopts a qualitative, literature-based research design informed by PRISMA 2020 identification and screening procedures and analyzed through thematic synthesis. Peer-reviewed articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science and published between 2021 and 2026 were purposively selected, coded using a structured literature matrix, and synthesized to derive research propositions. Findings: The synthesis identifies five interconnected themes: persistent information asymmetry surrounding halal attributes; the distinction between formal and socially mediated halal signals; the salience of source credibility and observable seller cues; perceived halalness as an interpretive rather than verificatory process; and consumer trust as a downstream response to signal interpretation. Together, these themes support a conceptual sequence in which information asymmetry elevates the salience of seller religious identity, which shapes perceived halalness and, subsequently, consumer trust. Research limitations/implications: As a conceptual study contextualized in Tembilahan, the proposed framework requires empirical validation across regions, product categories, and market structures. Practical implications: The findings underscore the importance of transparent halal information, visible certification, and consumer literacy in reducing overreliance on informal religious cues among food sellers. Originality/value: The study extends halal consumer research beyond certification and product-attribute signals toward seller-based social signaling, explicitly distinguishing perceived halalness from formally verified halal status and situating halal consumption within signaling and information-asymmetry theory.]]>
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