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Mandatory halal certificates to take effect this year, MUI reminds
Based on the law on halal product assurance, halal certification becomes mandatory starting this year.
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Buyers and sellers interact at the International Halal Travel Fair at the Islamic Center NTB Ballroom in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, in this Sept. 15, 2017 file photo. (JP/Panca Nugraha)
T
he Indonesian Ulema Council (MU) has reminded all food, medicine and cosmetics manufacturers that they must obtain halal certificates for their products because new halal product legislation will begin to take effect this year.
“Based on the law on halal product assurance, halal certification is mandatory this year. Therefore all products that enter [the Indonesian market] should have halal certificates,” said the MUI's Food and Drug Analysis Agency (LPPOM) director Lukmanul Hakim in Semarang, Central Java, on Tuesday.
He was referring to Law No. 33/2014 on halal product assurance that mandates the Halal Certification Agency (BPJPH) to start implementing mandatory halal certification.
Halal certification by the MUI has been taking place for a long time, but before this year it was entirely voluntary, used by many producers of food and beverages, cosmetics and medicinal products looking to ensure customer confidence in their products.
Lukman said halal certification was good both for producers and customers. He said the certified products would improve product competitiveness because customers would be more confident in consuming such products.
“Halal certificates will improve the competitiveness and branding of the products,” he said, as quoted by kompas.com. adding that the MUI had cooperated with authorities in many countries in preparation for the implementation of mandatory halal certification.
With the MUI’s cooperation with authorities in many countries, he added, the products that had been certified by the MUI could be exported to those countries without any new process of halal certification.
Meanwhile, to support the implementation of the law on halal products, the government issued a number of derivative regulations, including Presidential Regulation No. 83/2015 on the establishment of the Halal Certification Agency (BPJPH). (bbn)
