The House Of Representatives Encourages A More Strict Halal Labeling System After The Widuran Fried Chicken Case

JAKARTA Member of Commission IX DPR RI, Arzeti Bilbina, highlighted the commotion surrounding the legendary restaurant of Fried Chicken Widuran in Solo which was recently revealed using non-halal products after more than 50 years of operation. He regretted the lack of information disclosure from the restaurant, which made many consumers feel cheated.

"We deeply regret that non-halal food is not listed openly in restaurants or on social media. This has been going on for decades, it is only natural for consumers to feel cheated," said Arzeti, Wednesday, May 28.

The excitement started with the upload of netizens who admitted that they were surprised to learn about the use of pork in the process of cooking chicken kremesan. A number of Muslim customers then voiced their disappointment because they thought all the halal menus had been around. Restaurant management confirmed that the new non-halal label was installed after many complaints emerged.

Arzeti emphasized that there is nothing wrong with serving non-halal food. However, business actors are required to include this information in accordance with the Halal Product Guarantee Law (JPH).

He welcomed the temporary closure of restaurants to undergo an halal assessment, but asked management to continue to pay attention to the fate of their workers.

The PKB politician also urged the Government, BPOM, and MUI to build an integrated verification system for monitoring food halal status nationally. "Halal and non-halal information must be conveyed openly, in business places, menus, and digital platforms," he said.

According to him, supervision is not in the form of a voluntary appeal, but must be a system with strict sanctions for violations. He added that transparency is not only a matter of ethics, but a form of consumer protection and justice.

Arzeti also questioned management claims that non-halal information had been installed from the start, because many consumers admitted that they had never seen this information before.

"We support culinary MSMEs, but business actors must comply with regulations. This case can be an important reflection that honesty in the food business is the main foundation of consumer trust," concluded Arzeti.

For information, Fried Chicken Widuran is widely known for its spice-based village chicken and crunchy kremes. Restaurant management has apologized for the noise that occurred and stated that it is ready to work together in the process of clarifying their product status.