A halal certificate is now a necessity that every business actor must have. In the process of obtaining it, there are several different challenges that business actors may face when carrying out halal certification. Therefore, let’s look at the following five (5) easy and fast tips for obtaining a halal certificate.
Halal certification is now a top priority for business actors in Indonesia’s food, cosmetics, and other product industries. Amid increasing consumer demand for halal products, compliance with the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) is important to maintain customer trust and open up global market opportunities.
The President Director of the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs and Cosmetics (LPPOM), Muti Arintawati, conveyed this in a seminar entitled “Update on Regulations, Quality Standards, and Testing of Processed Food in Indonesia”, which was held by PT Equilab International some time ago in Jakarta.
“Halal certification is not only a regulatory requirement, but also a guarantee of product trust and safety in the eyes of consumers. With a deep understanding of the certification process, companies can be better prepared to meet the halal criteria set by the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) and LPPOM,” explained Muti.
Even so, she realized that there are several different challenges that business actors will face when carrying out halal certification. Therefore, Muti shared five (5) easy and fast tips for obtaining halal certification.
Get to Know the Scope and Business Process
The first step that companies must take is to recognize each company’s business process as a whole. This scope covers the entire production chain, from raw materials, production facilities and storage to distribution. Of course, each business scope has different requirements.
A comprehensive understanding of the business process will help companies map critical points that can affect the product’s halal status. Thus, risks can be minimized early before the certification process begins.
Understand the Criteria for the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH)
SJPH is a system that covers all aspects of production to ensure halal products from upstream to downstream. According to Muti, SJPH must be implemented consistently in the company’s daily activities.
“The company needs to ensure that the workflow, technical instructions, and documentation are in accordance with the SJPH criteria. An internal audit before submitting a certification is highly recommended so that potential risks can be identified early,” he said.
Prepare a Qualified Halal Supervisor
Government Regulation (PP) No. 42 of 2024, Article 50, states that every company that wants to apply for halal certification must have a supervisor. This supervisor has an important role in ensuring the implementation of SJPH throughout the production line.
“Still based on the same PP, Article 60, states that the halal supervisor must meet several requirements, such as being Muslim and having broad insight and understanding the sharia regarding halal,” said Muti. In addition, the competence of the halal supervisor must be proven by a halal supervisor competency certification.
Preparing Material Documents and SJPH Documents
This is a crucial step in ensuring that the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) runs effectively and in accordance with applicable standards. Documents must reflect the company’s business processes, so that every operational activity can be mapped and supports the fulfillment of halal principles. In addition, the preparation of documents must cover the five main criteria of SJPH according to the company’s scope.
To be more optimal, SJPH documents are prepared separately from other system manuals but remain flexible enough to be integrated if needed. This aims to ensure that all parties involved can easily understand the workflow and activity instructions. By describing a systematic guide, companies can run business processes that are not only efficient but also meet the halal standards expected by stakeholders and certification bodies.
SJPH Implementation
Muti states three important things must be considered in fulfilling the SJPH criteria. First, supporting documents are available for non-critical materials (naturally halal) and critical materials (require further verification). Second, the product’s naming, shape and packaging must comply with the Fatwa of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) No. 44 of 2020 and meet the SJPH criteria.
Third, production facilities must be free from impurities. There are three categories of facilities, namely:
- Facilities include buildings, rooms, main machines and equipment and auxiliary equipment used to handle, store and distribute products.
- All outlets (for restaurants) and shops (for retailers) must be registered (listed in the certification application).
- Facilities that come into contact with materials and products must be free from non-halal materials and never come into contact with non-halal materials.
By following these strategic steps, companies can ensure their products meet halal standards and gain the public’s trust. Through in-depth understanding and consistent implementation, halal certification is no longer a challenge but a great opportunity to advance the business.
In this case, LPPOM, as LPH, has been around for over 35 years, has various halal certification experiences, and has more than 50,000 clients. Even so, LPPOM never stops improving its services and programs to make it easier for business actors to carry out the halal certification process.
LPPOM also provides a platform that makes it easy for consumers, both business actors and the community, to be able to check products that have halal certificates through the website www.halalmui.org or the Halal MUI application, which can be downloaded on the Google Playstore, as well as the BPJPH website.
Business actors who have food products and have not been registered for certification should immediately register and select LPH LPPOM to carry out halal checks to comply with the regulations set by the government. LPPOM also offers various laboratory testing services, including for food safety. Information related to laboratory testing can be accessed at the following link: https://halalmui.org/laboratorium-halal/. (YN)
