The Assessment Institute of Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics (LPPOM) explained the BPJPH halal certification regulation, which applies in Indonesia for the food and beverage businesspeople in Saigon, Vietnam. It’s considered important as a first step toward fulfillment of regulation for an imported food and beverage company that marketed its products in Indonesia.
Indonesia has implemented the halal-mandatory certification for every product that is entered, circulated, and marketed in Indonesia. This is stated in Law Number 33, the Year 2014, about Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH) and its derivatives; the newest one is Law Number 6, the Year 2023. In that regulation, it’s said that every product that circulates in Indonesia must be halal-certified, except for the products that are prohibited (haram).
Based on the Halal Product Assurance (JPH) regulation, there are three product categories that must already have halal certification along the end of the first stages on October 17th 2024. First, food and beverage products. Second, raw materials, additional materials, and auxiliary materials for food and beverage products. Third, slaughtered products and slaughter services.
Halal Partnership and Audit Services Director of LPPOM, Dr. Ir. Muslich, M.Si., tells this matter in the seminar with the theme “Update of Indonesia Halal Regulation: Halal Mandatory Compliance for Overseas Products” held on 09th October 2024 at Saigon Exhibition & Convention Centre (SECC), Vietnam. This event is a collaboration between LPPOM and Informa Markets.
His side explained that in halal certification, the production process must give attention, including raw materials, auxiliary materials, and other materials. Entirely must come from a pure source, the halal material under Islam Shariah, not included/in contact with Najis, and also capable of handling the Islam Shariah during the occurrence of the production process. This is what will be proven during the audit.
“The halal of the material can be proven through the supporting documents, whether as the halal certificate from a recognized institution for animal materials and its derivatives as well as other critical material, or other documents such as the material specification or the material manufacturing process flow,” Muslich explained.
Other than that, Muslich also explained that the halal-mandatory certification regulation in Indonesia, for now, is under the BPJPH’s responsibility. Whereas, the halal fatwa decision is under the responsibility of the Fatwa Commission Indonesian Council of Ulama (KF MUI). Of course, the fatwa decision of halal certification can be decided based on the results of an audit report done by the Halal Inspection Body (LPH), one of them is LPPOM.
The LPH does the halal inspection of products that are then reported in the auditor meeting. The report of the results of the audit becomes the Fatwa Commission MUI base in deciding the fatwa of use product that is proven by the Halal Decision (KH). After that, this KH became the base of the publication of a halal certificate by BPJPH.
The 2024 Vietnam Food Ingredient (FI) Exhibition is an international exhibition that focuses on a strategic platform for food and beverage industry players to explore innovation and expand business networks. This event is an opportunity to connect the food and beverage industry with raw material producers, which has the potential to encourage innovation in this sector. Participants were enthusiastic about conducting questions and answers and consulting with LPPOM regarding halal certification issues, especially food and beverage products.
LPPOM made various efforts to encourage the realization of halal-mandatory for every product
category by the government’s direction. This is done from educating the businesspeople doing
halal certification to plenty of programs to ease the businesspeople to do the halal certification
quickly and easily, including giving a free halal certification facility.
For now, LPPOM keeps encouraging the government’s effort in realizing halal awareness in every way, starting from educating businesspeople to students and college students. LPPOM also provides a platform through this website: www.halalmui.org that can easily be accessed by businesspeople or even the public to check the products that have been halal certified and education about halal. (ZUL)