On May 11, 2021, the Indonesian government notified the World Trade Organization that on February 2, 2021 it had passed Government Regulation No. 39 of 2021 on the Halal Product Assurance Organization. The regulation updates and sets a new legal framework for mandatory certification of all Halal-related products, and updates the provisions for implementing Halal product assurance. It replaces the previous regulation, the provisions of the 2014 Halal Product Assurance Law. Imported Halal food, cosmetics, chemicals and biological products also fall within the scope of this regulation.
The new Government Regulation 39/2021 accommodates the various amendments of Indonesia's Law No. 11 of 2020 on Job Creation (the Job Creation Law), explicitly covering Halal products. It replaces Government Regulation No. 31 of 2019 on the implementation of the provisions of Indonesia's 2014 Halal Product Assurance Law, which itself replaced Law No. 33/2014 on Halal Product Assurance and supervision.
Government Regulations No. 31/2019 and No. 39/2021 are both part of Indonesia's mandatory Halal product certification program, covering a wide range of Halal-related matters, including food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemical and biological products, and other products. Government Regulation No. 39/2021 provides key provisions on the obligations and procedures for Halal product certification and registration, labeling, non-Halal information, and the implementation of Halal certification. Compared with Government Regulation No. 31/2019, the new 2021 regulation revises and substantially expands the scope of Halal product assurance regulatory requirements, while still maintaining a similar mandate regarding the roles of authorized government agencies.
Indonesia established the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) as the main body overseeing Halal products.
Products that must obtain Halal certification under the new regulation include goods and services, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, chemicals, biological products, genetically modified organisms, and other consumer goods.
Halal certification and registration
The new Halal standard requirements include the Halal certification obligation, which generally states that Halal certification must cover all products entering, circulating in and traded within Indonesian territory. However, for non-Halal products, a clear statement of the non-Halal materials in the product must be provided. These regulations also require business actors to comply with requirements, such as providing correct, transparent and honest information about the location, slaughter, processing, packaging and distribution methods of Halal products, because Halal products must be separated from non-Halal products. In addition, there is an obligation to appoint a Muslim supervisor who has extensive knowledge and understanding of Halal product matters, certified by a Halal supervisor certificate. Furthermore, any issues and changes related to material composition must be sent to BPJPH.
Halal mark
The new regulation also requires the Halal label and certificate number to be affixed to the product packaging, certain parts of the product, and/or specific locations on the product, unless the packaging is too small to contain the information, the product is sold to buyers in smaller quantities, or the product is sold in bulk. In addition, the regulation also mentions that business actors are obligated to indicate a clear statement of non-Halal products on the product packaging or product parts.
For more information on Indonesia Halal certification matters, please call SINOQUAL's national unified customer service hotline: 400-001-7706.