Behind the Lemper and meatballs that we enjoy, business actors, especially MSMEs, struggle to prove the halalness of their raw materials. LPH LPPOM is here to verify and build a halal ecosystem from upstream to downstream. This is a silent but strategic reform to accelerate halal certification in Indonesia.
The halal certification process has often been considered complicated, especially by Micro and Small Business (MSME) actors. This complexity is not just a matter of procedure but more deeply concerns the structure of the supply of halal raw materials that are not yet fully ready.
This was the main highlight of Muti Arintawati, the President Director of the Halal Inspection Body (LPH) LPPOM MUI, at the prestigious Kumparan Halal Forum 2025, which took place on May 27, 2025, at the Artotel Mangkuluhur Hotel, Jakarta, with the theme “The X Factor to Accelerate Your Halal Certification Process.”
In her presentation, Muti said that the most pressing issue in reforming the national halal certification system is speeding up the administrative process and fixing the ecosystem from upstream to downstream. She said that the main difficulty for MSMEs lies in access to halal-certified raw materials, especially those included in the critical category, such as chicken and beef.
“There are many incidents, especially MSME actors who feel that the halal certification process is difficult and complicated because there are no choices of certain materials that are indeed critical but do not have halal certificates,” said Muti.
She gave an example of an audit case on a homemade lemper business. Although it seems simple, verifying the halalness of this product is very complex because it concerns the traceability of the chicken filling. “Lemper is made from sticky rice filled with chicken. Sticky rice, God willing, is halal, but this chicken is critical. The question is: where does the chicken come from?” she said. “If the LPH processes the halal certification of the business actor, they will usually ask for a halal certificate for the chicken meat.”
However, when business actors buy chicken from regular stores, the audit process must be traced back to the chicken slaughterhouse (RPA) that supplies the store. This is where the main obstacle arises: not all RPAs are halal certified, or not all stores can show the source of chicken from RPAs that are halal certified.
“For example, using chicken meat from store A. Store A must then ensure that the source of the chicken meat is, for example, from RPA X which is halal certified. Then the business actor must have proof of a halal certificate from RPA X. So, what if RPA X does not have a halal certificate?” explained Muti.
This condition makes the certification process, especially for MSMEs, long and tiring. LPH LPPOM must trace the entire supply chain to the source of the ingredients. “So to audit lemper that looks simple in terms of ingredients, the process becomes long. LPH must trace the origin of the ingredients based on the principle of traceability. LPH must visit the lemper business actors. Then trace the origin of the meat, and if they do not have documents, then the auditor must ensure the source of the chicken meat from which RPA and at the same time ensure whether it has a halal certificate or not? If not, the auditor will also check the RPA to ensure that it meets the halal requirements,” said Muti.
“Finally, the story emerged that certification for MSMEs is difficult, complicated, and long. If we trace it back, it turns out that the problem is in these critical ingredients.”
According to him, processed products such as lemper are only the end of the supply chain. Meanwhile, the main problem is at the upstream point: animal-based ingredients. Therefore, LPH LPPOM has recently continued to push for halal certification programs from upstream, such as slaughterhouses for poultry and ruminants, as the main priority. This is also a concern for LPPOM, which allocates part of the CSR funds for halal-themed programs from upstream by facilitating slaughterhouses to obtain BPJPH halal certificates so that the meat produced is guaranteed to be halal.
“So we set priority solutions based on product groups. In the future, it would be better to focus on the problem of critical ingredients that are massively used by products in many companies. One of them is animal-based ingredients, so halal certification for slaughterhouses for both poultry and ruminants is a priority,” he said.
In addition, he also highlighted the problem of meat grinding services, especially those used by meatball traders. “For meatball traders, this grinding service has the potential to be a problem. Therefore, halal certification of meat grinding services is also a priority,” he added.
As a concrete step, LPH LPPOM, on May 8, 2025, held the Syawal Festival, a national activity that facilitated halal certification for 103 meat grinding services in 19 provinces. Not only that, LPH LPPOM also launched a pilot project for halal meat grinding services in Bogor and Makassar. Halal education and socialization were also held massively to more than 1,496 participants throughout Indonesia.
This step is very strategic considering that in 2024, more than 70% of beef circulating in the Indonesian market will be absorbed by meatball traders, but only around 1.5% of the meat sources are halal certified.
With upstream reform, LPH LPPOM hopes the halal certification process can be faster, more efficient, and more inclusive, especially for small business actors. “That’s why in the last few years, one of the campaigns that LPH LPPOM has often carried out is halal certification from upstream,” concluded Muti.
LPH LPPOM always opens a discussion space for every business actor whose products have not yet been halal certified through the Customer Care service at Call Center 14056 or WhatsApp 0811-1148-696. In addition, business actors can explore the flow and process of halal certification by attending the free Introduction to Halal Certification (PSH) class, which is held routinely every 2nd and 4th week of each month: https://halalmui.org/pengenalan-sertifikasi-halal/.
So, for food and beverage packaging products that do not yet have halal certification, immediately choose LPH LPPOM as your partner in the halal certification process. You can also check the list of products that have been halal certified that have been inspected by LPH LPPOM through the website www.halalmui.org or the Halal MUI application, which can be downloaded on the Playstore, and complete information can refer to the BPJPH website https://bpjph.halal.go.id/. (YN)
