Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Indonesian Ministry of Religious Affairs will review products deemed unfit to receive halal certification but have been granted a halal certification number. “I don’t know yet, so let’s check first whether it’s true or not,” said Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas on Sunday (09/29).
This statement follows public complaints regarding specific products, such as beer, rum, and wine, appearing on the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) app despite not meeting halal criteria. According to the Indonesian Ulema Council’s (MUI) Fatwa No. 44 of 2020 on the Use of Product Names, Forms, and Packaging That Cannot Be Halal-Certified, a product can only be labeled halal if it does not contain any prohibited elements in terms of ingredients or name.
Yaqut also urged foreign halal certification bodies (LHLN) recognized by BPJPH to assess foreign products seeking halal certification more carefully. “It is the responsibility of the LHLN to evaluate. If it’s not halal, it cannot be certified,” he said.
The Minister aims to increase halal product certification by 200%, mainly from Japan, by October. This target aligns with Law No. 6 of 2023 on Job Creation. The Job Creation Law has amended several provisions in Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance (JPH Law), which mandates that products entering, circulating, and being traded in Indonesia must be halal-certified starting from October 17, 2024.
BPJPH currently recognizes 150 foreign halal certification bodies. Since its establishment in 2017, BPJPH has issued two million halal certifications or five million halal-certified products.
