The government regulates three groups of products that must obtain a halal certificate no later than October 17, 2024, spanning food and beverage products, raw materials, and slaughter products.
Heaptalk, Jakarta — The first phasing period for mandatory halal certificates will end on October 17, 2024. Based on Law no. 33 of 2014 on Guarantees for Halal Products and its derivative regulation, three groups of products have to be halal certified as the first phase ends.
The first group includes food and beverage products. The second group consists of raw materials, food additives, and supporting materials for food and beverage products. The third group is slaughter products and slaughter services.
Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) at the Ministry of Religion Muhammad Aqil Irham delivered, “These three product groups must be halal-certified no later than October 17, 2024. If they are not certified and are circulating in the community, there will be sanctions.”
Aqil explained that the sanctions to be given span written warnings, administrative fines, and withdrawal of goods from circulation according to the provisions in the Government Regulation No. 39 of 2021 on Implementation of the Halal Product Assurance Field. “Therefore, before the mandatory halal certification is implemented, we urge all business actors to immediately manage the halal certification of their products,” added Aqil.
Currently, BPJPH also provides a free halal certification (Sehati) facility. Aqil said, “This must be utilized by business actors. We will open Sehati throughout the year for MSEs who apply for certification using a self-declare mechanism for halal statements.”
What about Mixue’s halal certification?
Recently, the ice cream and tea outlet from China, Mixue, becomes a hot issue as it displays the Indonesian Halal logo although the products are not yet halal certified. According to Aqil, the Indonesian Halal logo and label may only be placed on products that have a halal certificate. This confirmation is in response to complaints that there are Mixue outlets that display the Indonesian Halal logo although the products are not yet halal certified.
“Halal logos and labels can only be installed if a product is halal certified. Currently, Mixue does not yet have a halal certificate. Therefore, do not put the Indonesian Halal logo in its outlets,” said Aqil in Jakarta (1/2).
Based on data from the Halal Information System (SiHalal), Mixue applied to register for halal certification on November 13, 2022. “Currently, the process has entered the audit stage by the Halal Examination Agency (LPH) LPPOM MUI,” said Aqil.
After the audit process by LPH is complete, the file will be forwarded to the MUI Fatwa Commission for a fatwa hearing. “A Halal Certificate will be issued by BPJPH after there is a Halal Decree from the MUI Fatwa Commission,” said Aqil. Therefore, Aqil asked Mixue not to put the halal logo first in its outlets before obtaining a halal certificate.
Responding to many customer questions regarding halal status, Mixue’s management confirmed that its products did not yet have a halal certificate. According to a written statement from Mixue’s management, the outlet has been processing halal certificates since early 2021, but the process has not been completed.
One of the reasons for the long certification process is that 90% of Mixue’s raw materials are imported from China. “The majority of Mixue’s raw materials in Indonesia are currently produced at the international-standard Mixue factory in China. Therefore, we first submit the halal certification consultation process to Shanghai Al-Amin,” said Mixue’s management in a written statement (7/27).
The source of raw materials that are not entirely concentrated in one city also causes the certification process to take a long time. The certification is not only about the composition, but also the source of the raw materials and the processes they go through. The Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown are also claimed to have hampered the processing of halal certificates.
In addition, management also confirmed that Mixue products do not contain alcohol, rum, or ingredients containing pork. The products have also passed the Indonesian National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) and received an import certificate.
