Indonesia is the most populated Muslim-majority country accounting for approximately 12.7% of the world’s Muslims. Although employers are not obliged to get their products halal certified in Indonesia, Indonesian Muslims generally demand to know whether or not the products they consume are halal. Therefore, getting the halal certification is highly encouraged, especially if your products fall within the food & beverages, drugs and cosmetics categories.
The halal certification process is not administered by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (“MUI”), but rather by the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal or “BPJPH”). This is a common misconception as the MUI only issues a fatwa — a decision made under Islamic law, concerning the ‘halalness’ of a product. Another misconception is that the halal certification can be used as a replacement for the BPOM distribution license. This is completely false. Employers must still have to apply for the BPOM distribution license to sell their products in Indonesia.
The Halal Certification Procedures
According to the Minister of Religious Affairs Decree No 982/2019, the procedures to get your products halal certified are as follows:
Stage 1: Application Submission
When submitting the application to BPJPH, employers must submit 1) employer details, 2) name and type of product, 3) list of the materials/ingredients used in the product, and 4) product processing details. Once the application is submitted, BPJPH will verify the application within 10 working days.
Stage 2: Examination of the ‘Halalness’ of the Product
When the application has been approved, BPJPH will assign an accredited halal guarantor institution to examine the materials and/or ingredients used in the product. An auditor will visit the production and processing site and conduct an inspection to determine the halalness of the product. This will take approximately 40 working days.
Stage 3: Scientific Research on the Examination Results
The auditor may have to bring the product sample and conduct scientific research in the laboratory if they are doubtful of the examination results. This will take another 20 working days.
Stage 4: Fatwa Trial by MUI
Once the examination and/or lab results are approved, BPJPH will send the results to MUI. MUI will carry out a fatwa trial within 30 working days. Once the fatwa is released, MUI will notify BPJPH.
Stage 5: Issuance of the Halal Certificate
Once BPJPH receives the fatwa documentation from MUI, they will issue the Halal Certificate of the product within 7 working days. The certificate is valid for 4 years from the date of issuance.
Potential Sanctions of Halal Certification
Employers who have obtained the Halal Certificate are required to:
- include the Halal Label on the certified product;
- maintain the halalness of the product;
- separate the slaughter location, processing equipment, storage, packaging, distribution, and sale of halal and non-halal products;
- renew the Halal Certificate when it has expired;
- report changes in the materials and/or ingredients to BPJPH.
Employers who do not carry out the obligations mentioned above are subject to administrative sanctions in the form of a written warning, fines, and eventually the revocation of the Halal Certificate.
Overseas Halal Certification Bodies (“HCB”) Approved by the MUI
If your product has been certified by a certain HCB overseas, you may be able to submit the certificate in lieu of having to go through the procedures. There are currently 45 foreign HCB that the MUI approves. The list can be found here. However, MUI states that there will still be possibilities for them to ask for additional supporting documents to clarify the critical points of certain halal-certified products from a foreign HCB.
Conclusion
Those are the halal certification procedures. If you require further information that is not mentioned in this article, Permitindo can assist in guiding you through this process based on our vast experience and successful track record. However, please note that we are a private organization and not directly affiliated with any governmental institutions or official Halal certification bodies.
For any further questions or clarifications, feel free to reach out to us at contact@permitindo.com or by filling out this form on our website. Please note that any information you provide will be handled with the utmost respect for your privacy and in accordance with all relevant data protection laws. We look forward to being of service to you.
References
Law No 33/2014
Law No 11/2020
Minister of Religious Affairs Decree No 982/2019
Government Regulation No 31/ 2019
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