There is still a lot of confusion in the public about halal retailer services. Does that mean that every product that is sold in retailers’ stores that is halal certified is definitely halal certified? How does the LPPOM LPH do the fast and easy certification of the retailer services?
Halal certification for retailer services gives several perceptions in public. Partly understand that a halal certified to retailer services by the LPH doesn’t mean that every product that has been sold there is guaranteed as halal. And some others think that halal certification on retailer services signified the whole products in there. This matter needs serious attention so the misunderstanding in the public will not be rooted.
In answer to this matter, the President Director of LPPOM, Muti Arintawati, emphasized that retailer services related to food and beverage are included in the must-halal certified category following Government Law No. 39 Year 2021. Numbers of conditions must be implemented by the company to fulfill the obligation. One of it to separate the facility between the halal and haram products.
“A halal certification for retailer services includes handling the material flow or the product that must be free from najis that potentially contaminate the material/product that is halal. Its scope covers warehousing, distribution (receiving product), handling and storage, and display. That means all of the halal-certified products are guaranteed not to contaminate with najis until reaching the hand of the consumers,” Muti explained in the Media Gathering with the theme “Selling a Non-Halal Product, Retailer Services Still Required Halal Certification” held by LPPOM on October 3rd, 2024 at the Abuba Steak Restaurant, Jakarta.
Products that are handled by retailers that want to get halal certification must be identified and handled by the standard. There are three product categories in retailer services that need different ways of handling.
First, products that are obviously halal (such as fruit and vegetables) or have a halal certificate don’t need particular handling. Second, haram products such as pork and liquor must be ensured by the facility that they do not contaminate the halal products and be given clear markings. Third, products that still do not have a clear halal status but free pigs must be handled so it would not contaminate the products that have been halal certified.
Moreover, companies need to have a written procedure with a maintained documentation, some of which are related to the receivement, handling, process and storage, traceability of product handling, handling of product that is not in accordance with the criteria, personnel training, also internal audit and management review.
Based on the BPJPH data, as of September 2024, there already are 48 retailer companies that halal certified. Among the 28 retailers, companies have been halal certificated through the inspection of LPPOM. To encourage the WHO 2024 program that promoted by the government, LPPOM keeps done various of programs and services to encourage the acceleration of halal certification of retailer services.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI), KH. Miftahul Huda said that in halal certification, MUI has the role of guarding the people from something that is Haram, and has a function in carrying out religious duties (himayat al – ummah) related to the confirmation of halal and purity.
“In the Fatwa a product is prohibited (haram) because there are Najis or have caught a Najis (mutanajjis), therefore, contamination of Najis has become one of the critical points in retailer services. If the product gets caught by Najis, it can be purified with water and a cleanser. The purifying process is counted as successful with the loss of smell, taste and color,” said Miftah.
His side also mentioned that if there is a facility or a product that caught of Najis and can’t get caught of water or it may decreased the quality if it caught by the water so the purity can be done by spraying compressed air, wiped with a non-water such as oil or even only get brushed.
As we all know, the government already enforces the Constitution Number 33 Year 2014 about the Halal Product Assurance (UU JPH) and the regulation derivatives obligating all of the products that circulated must-halal certified. The nearest deadline is on 17 October 2024 for four types of products, among them are: food and beverage as the end product; raw material, additional material, and auxiliary material for food and beverage; services and products of slaughter; and every services related with the food and beverage process delivered to the consumers (toll manufacturing, logistics, retailers). (***)
