By: Ir. Hendra Utama, MM
Auditor Senior LPPOM MUI
Fulfillment of material criteria with the provision of supporting documents requires energy and time. In terms of business interests, these two factors are antecedents (determining factors) of momentum in seizing the market and the hearts of Muslim consumers.
The sooner the documents are available, the logical consequence, the halal certification process will be completed faster and of course the company will also greet consumers faster with products with the halal logo.
Based on such a thinking framework—effective in meeting the criteria and efficient in efforts to provide documents—lppom MUI issued a list of critical point materials or what has been known as the Halal Positive List of Materials.
The use of this list is the provision of standards for LPPOM MUI clients in simplifying the availability of documents in order to meet the criteria for halal materials. The drafting process involves experts and the industrial world. The argument for a material to be included in this list is based on the LPPOM MUI study by considering the source of the material used on a commercial production scale.
The list of non-critical materials was developed by LPPOM MUI within the framework of simplifying the halal certification process in the context of fulfilling supporting documents for materials. In terms of the decision-making process, this mechanism was created to make it easier for LPPOM MUI to make decisions on whether the company is considered to have met the criteria for halal materials. This means that the holder of the decision authority is LPPOM MUI.
However, from the business side, the company deals with many parties, depending on its interests. From the internal side, the company will make a mechanism that will make it easier for itself. Many companies for the sake of such convenience will choose to create uncomplicated procedures.
About the appointment of vendors or suppliers, for example. For a particular company, especially if the number of suppliers it manages is very large, it will make simple criteria. Not infrequently in fulfilling halal criteria, the appointment of suppliers in addition to considering other aspects (regarding quality and price for example), the availability of halal certificates is everything—regardless of the material.
So even though the material is included in the list of non-critical ingredients of LPPOM MUI, it is not a consideration. Especially with the characteristics of the list of non-critical materials that are also dynamic. Not all companies are willing to take risks so that they have the potential to create difficulties later.
In addition, the list of non-critical ingredients of LPPOM MUI is mainly only for the purposes of halal certification with LPPOM MUI, not with others. Even though the company has an interest in developing its market as widely as possible, including exporting its products to other countries.
If the company exports its products to other countries, it could be that the buyer is also certified by another certification body. Therefore, this company is also interested in obtaining a halal certificate, even if the product is included in the list of non-critical ingredients of LPPOM MUI.
Therefore, to answer these two challenges, companies with a typical like this—whose products are not critical—have an interest in obtaining halal certificates. This relates to business relationships based on mutual trust (trust of both parties). When one of the parties does not have a sufficient level of trust, then of course business transactions will not occur.
In terms of halal certification procedures, every company that will register halal certification has an obligation to apply the 11 criteria of the Halal Assurance System, no matter whether the product is included in the list of non-critical ingredients or not. It's just that for companies with products that are included in the list of non-critical ingredients, the auditor's assessment process for meeting the criteria will be much simpler, as long as all evidence of the implementation of the Halal Assurance System is available. (***)
