As Indonesia’s first and largest Halal Inspection Body (LPH), the role of the Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI) in Halal certification is undeniable.
The Director of LPPOM MUI, Muti Arintawati, explained that the institution she leads continues to accelerate halal certification inspections following the mandate of Government Regulation (PP) Number 39 of 2014 concerning implementing Halal Product Guarantees. In carrying out its duties, LPPOM MUI follows the three crucial pillars: competent auditors, accredited laboratories, and an online service system, CEROL-SS23000.
From the auditor side, until now, LPPOM MUI is supported by 903 halal auditors from various educational backgrounds. They earned Bachelor (S-1), Master (S-2), Doctor (S-3) levels of education, and some even held professorships (Professor) in the fields of food technology, chemistry, biochemistry, industrial technology, biology, and pharmacy. The auditor has a Halal Auditor Professional Work Competency Certificate from the National Professional Certification Agency (BNSP).
Foreign halal certification bodies have also recognized and adopted the halal certification and assurance systems designed and implemented by LPPOM MUI.
Realizing that technology has penetrated various fields, LPPOM MUI, an institution serving business entities in product halal inspection, has implemented digital-based services through the CEROL-SS23000 application. The system launched on May 24, 2012, is provided to provide effective, efficient, and accountable halal certification registration services.
The CEROL-SS23000 application has many benefits, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic is hitting the world because registration for halal certification no longer has to be done face to face. LPPOM MUI implements Modified on-Site Audit (MoSA)-based services to enhance the service. It compares audit evidence with 11 criteria of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) online. This aligns with the spirit of the industrial world, which is entering the Industry 4.0 era, where technology’s role is vital in the production process.
Another pillar that is no less important in halal certification is the laboratory to provide assurance on audit results and add value to the resulting halal certification. Even though it is not the primary determinant of whether a product is halal or haram, the results of laboratory tests are still the data to support decisions in fatwa commission meetings.
“In the process of halal certification, several product categories require the fulfillment of scientific data from laboratory tests to ensure the product does not use unclean/unclean goods, Islam prohibits it, and there is no mixture of contamination between halal and unclean materials or products,” said Muti. Arintawati.
Since 2016, the LPPOM MUI Laboratory has received recognition from the National Accreditation Committee (KAN) SNI ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 for international standard laboratory testing. The services provided by the LPPOM MUI laboratory include specific tests for halal, such as testing pig DNA with real-time PCR, ethanol residues with GC-FID, particular pork protein with rapid tests, and water permeability tests (for cosmetics) with the method in-house.
The support of the three main pillars enables LPPOM MUI to continue improving its services in halal certification. Until the end of 2022, LPPOM MUI received 15,333 applications for halal certification. Data collection is collected by business actors who register through the SiHalal BPJPH application and choose LPPOM MUI as the LPH.
Compared to the previous year, in 2021, there were 7,331 applications. This figure has increased by 48 percent from the number of applications from 1,273 business actors. Muti said the number of requests was higher because businesses were allowed to submit more than one product. The total number of registered products is 297,308 products.
This figure is, of course, still minimal compared to the target of 10 million halal certificates in 2024. However, LPPOM MUI continues to increase the capacity of auditors and support resources to support the government in achieving this target. (***)
