From San Diego to Bangkok, LPPOM MUI Laboratory affirms its role as a pioneer in global halal and food safety standards. Through the AOAC International forum, LPPOM presents a collaboration between science and sharia to build a credible, harmonized, and globally recognized halal testing system.
LPPOM MUI Laboratory reaffirmed its strategic role on the international stage. At the AOAC Southeast Asia (SEA) Annual Conference 2025, held at The Berkeley Hotel Pratunam, Bangkok, Thailand, on October 28–30, 2025, LPPOM MUI Laboratory was featured as one of the keynote speakers among experts from metrology institutions, food regulators, industry, and academia across Southeast Asia. The Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) is an international organization that establishes standard methods for food, drug, and environmental testing in more than 90 countries.
On the occasion, Heryani, General Manager of the LPPOM MUI Laboratory, presented a presentation entitled “Towards Harmonized Halal Testing: A Proposal for AOAC SEA to Establish Dispute Resolution Guidelines for Laboratory Results.” Through this presentation, LPPOM invited experts at the AOAC forum to raise awareness of the importance of standardizing halal testing at the regional and global levels, given the rapid development of analytical technology and the increasing complexity of food products.
“Inter-laboratory variability is real, so a harmonized scientific and sharia mechanism is needed to ensure fair and credible halal decisions,” explained Heryani. She added that LPPOM is encouraging the formation of a Halal Testing Harmonization Working Group under the AOAC SEA section as a first step toward harmonizing halal testing standards across Southeast Asia and globally.
The topic raised by LPPOM received special attention because it was part of the conference’s main agenda, which also addressed global issues such as PFAS, mycotoxins, pesticides, and cross-border food safety. These issues emphasize the importance of cross-border collaboration in maintaining global food safety and quality.
Through this initiative, LPPOM brings Indonesia’s experience as a halal certification pioneer to the world’s largest Muslim-majority country. This step also strengthens the AOAC’s mission to ensure the integrity of laboratory data and the equivalence of test results between countries in the international trade of halal products.
Before its appearance in Bangkok, the LPPOM MUI Laboratory team also participated in the AOAC International Annual Meeting & Exposition 2025 in San Diego, California, United States. At this prestigious event, LPPOM was the only Indonesian delegation, presenting two selected scientific presentations.
The first is the research paper, “Overcoming Matrix Challenges: A Sensitive GC-MS/MS Headspace Method for Ethylene Oxide and 2-Chloroethanol Residues in Multicomponent Spice Seasonings,” which describes an innovative method for detecting hazardous residues in complex spice seasonings with high sensitivity.
The second is “Custom TaqMan PCR for Indigenous Salmonella Strains: A Rapid, Sensitive, and Robust Alternative to Conventional and Commercial Assays,” which introduces the development of an in-house PCR to detect local Salmonella strains quickly, accurately, and efficiently, both in terms of cost and method robustness in the laboratory.
Both papers affirm the LPPOM MUI Laboratory’s position as a globally competitive, research-oriented Indonesian laboratory, particularly in food safety, halal testing, and molecular biotechnology. This participation demonstrates that LPPOM not only plays a crucial role at the national level but is also recognized internationally as an institution with high credibility and a strong commitment to scientific innovation.
The presence of the LPPOM MUI Laboratory at two international AOAC events makes Indonesia one of the countries actively contributing to the development of scientific methods and global halal governance. This step strengthens Indonesia’s position as a worldwide center for halal innovation and demonstrates the capacity of national institutions to collaborate with the AOAC.
As stated in the closing session of the conference, LPPOM affirmed its commitment: “Together with AOAC, we are committed to bringing innovation to halal and safety testing for a better life.”
Through active participation in the AOAC forum, the LPPOM MUI Laboratory not only showcases the competence of Indonesian scientists on the global stage but also fosters synergy between science and sharia, two key pillars in ensuring halal and food safety worldwide.
The initiative to establish a Halal Testing Harmonization Working Group, initiated in collaboration with the AOAC SEA, marks a significant milestone towards the establishment of a Global Halal Testing Standard. This effort is expected to strengthen the credibility of halal laboratories worldwide and to support a more transparent and reliable flow of halal trade.
From San Diego to Bangkok, the LPPOM MUI Laboratory’s work demonstrates Indonesia’s strong commitment to fostering a spirit of innovation, integrity, and global collaboration to achieve a scientific, inclusive, and globally competitive halal future. (HI/YN)
