Taking care of halal certification is not complicated. This was conveyed by Executive Director of the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics, Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI) Ir. Muti Arintawati, M.Si, at the National Webinar “Increase MSMES Profits and Selling Value with Halal Certificates” some time ago.
“Indeed, there is a halal certification process that must be taken. There are at least three parts in the halal certification process that Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) actors need to know, namely the preparation process, the halal certification process, and post halal certification,” said Muti.
One of the keys to the success of halal certification is that businessmen understand the ins and outs of the Halal Assurance System (HAS). If you understand, the MSMEs will easily prepare a list of ingredients, and all the ingredients used are guaranteed halal. Muti said the easiest thing is to use materials that have been certified halal by the MUI. This can be checked on the page www.halalmui.org and the Halal MUI application.
In addition, ensure that the means of production are not used simultaneously to produce other non-halal products. Then, documents that are required for halal certification must be prepared in accordance with the product production process.
To understand HAS, business operators can learn from the HAS 23000 book, attend training, and so on. The information can be seen on the page www.halalmui.org.
Furthermore, Muti explained related to the flow of halal certification which is now a question among businessmen. Currently, halal certification registration is carried out through Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH). After obtaining proof of BPJPH registration, the process is carried out by LPPOM MUI. Even so, this halal certification process can be done in parallel.
The company must upload the SJH implementation document in the CEROL-SS23000 account. For MSMEs, LPPOM MUI has prepared a special template. Meanwhile, middle and upper-class companies must prepare a Halal Assurance System (HAS) manual document according to the business process.
After the documents are complete, the LPPOM MUI auditor needs to verify the validity of the documents. Then, the results of the audit will be given to the MUI Fatwa Commission as the basis for determining the product fatwa.
“The process takes about 75 calendar days to get a halal certificate. Of course, it can be faster or slower depending on the preparation of the businessmen. If the businessmen understands HAS, there are those who only 34 days can get a halal certificate. But some just got it for 141 days. Usually, it relates to the material that has to be replaced. Therefore, it is important for businessmen to be pro-active,” explained Muti.
Furthermore, he explained that the halal certificate is an added value for expanding the market. For example, to enter modern wholesale markets, hypermarkets, or supermarkets, halal certificates are a requirement. This market expansion is also an entry ticket for exports, especially to Muslim countries. If MSMEs produces materials for factories, the main requirement for entering a halal-certified factory is a halal certificate.
Even so, there are still many MSMEs entrepreneurs who don’t have that understanding. The awareness to do halal certification is still low. Generally what happens, if the business is Muslim, then they are sure that the product is halal.
“Awareness usually arises when there are demands from consumers, for example when they are going to supply large stores that require halal certificates, or if there are export opportunities that require halal certificates,” explained Muti. (YN)
