Do You Have a Foreign Halal Certificate? Do you Have to Resubmit it in Indonesia?

Corporate Secretary Service Indonesia – Currently, the culinary industry continues to grow rapidly; not only local products but also the number of products from abroad also continues to grow. For example, dairy products imported directly from New Zealand, instant noodles imported directly from Korea, and so on. With the majority of Indonesia’s population being Muslim, business actors need to convince consumers that their products have met halal standards. One of them is with halal certification.

Every businessman is required to have a halal certificate as proof that the products they sell have guaranteed halalness. It is not uncommon for these food and beverage products to have obtained halal certificates from the country of origin. In Indonesia, a halal certificate is an official recognition of the halalness of a product issued by the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH), in accordance with the halal fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI). So, are foreign halal certificates recognized and can be used in Indonesia? Read more!

Authority of Halal Certification

In Indonesia, halal certification is regulated in Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Guarantee (Law 33/2014) as amended by Law 6 of 2023 concerning Job Creation (Law 6/2023) and in Government Regulation Number 39 of 2021 concerning the Implementation of the Halal Product Guarantee Field (PP 39/2021). A halal certificate is a document that confirms the halalness of a product issued by the halal product guarantee organizing agency (BPJPH), based on a halal fatwa from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) (Article 1 point 6 of PP 39/2021).

Meanwhile, the halal label is a marker of the halalness of a product. Business actors or companies can add a halal label to their products after obtaining a halal certificate (Article 1 point 7 of PP 39/2021).

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There are several institutions that have a role as stakeholders in terms of product halalness, namely:

• The Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council acts as an institution that provides halal fatwa and issues halal certificates.
• MUI’s Institute for Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Assessment (LPPOM) is responsible for conducting research on product halalness in terms of science.
• The Food and Drug Administration (BPOM) has a role as an institution that provides halal labeling permits.
• The Ministry of Religious Affairs is responsible for formulating policies, conducting socialization, and providing education to the public; and
• Other related ministries also play a role in this matter.

Issuance of Halal Certificates

The issuance of halal certificates or halal labels is the exclusive authority of BPJPH. However, the law also authorizes BPJPH in accordance with Article 6 letters (d) and (j) and Article 46 of Law 33/2014 to:

• Registering Halal Certificates on Products from abroad;
• Cooperate with domestic and foreign institutions in the implementation of halal product guarantees, which include:
• Development of Halal Product Guarantee,
• Conformity assessment and/or
• Halal Certificate Recognition

Furthermore, according to Article 122 of PP 39/2021, it explains that international cooperation in recognizing halal certificates is cooperation in the mutual recognition of halal certificates. International cooperation in the form of mutual recognition of halal certificates is carried out with foreign halal institutions authorized to issue halal certificates.

Cooperation in conformity assessment and certificate recognition is carried out through:

• Mutual recognition
• Mutual acceptance of conformity assessment results, and
• Mutual recognition of halal certificates.

Therefore, halal certificates for products imported from abroad can be recognized in Indonesia as long as the foreign halal institution has cooperated with BPJPH. Don’t worry about developing your business by setting up a company in Indonesia, because Portcorp is here as a solution for your business, also when you need Halal Certification. Portcorp is your comprehensive corporate secretary service in Indonesia. With our presence, you can get a dedicated company secretary to support you to what you need. Our company secretaries will track deadlines and file paperwork so your business keeps running smoothly. Contact us now on +6221-5020-8090 for your business succeed in the future!