New Face Of Halal Certificate: Examination There Are 30 Institutions, Determination Of MUI And Issuance Of BPJPH

Illustration - Halal food products. (ANTARA-Raisan Al Farisi)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) said as many as 30 Halal Examination Institutions (LPH) seven of them came from State Islamic Religious Universities (PTKIN) were ready to operate.

"Alhamdulillah, in one year BPJPH has added LPH. Initially there were only three institutions, to 30 LPH. In fact, seven of them came from PTKIN," said Head of the Halal Product Guarantee Agency (BPJPH) of the Ministry of Religion Aqil Irham in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Thursday 27 October.

Aqil emphasized the importance of the role of LPH in the halal certification process. According to him, the implementation of the obligation to be certified halal for incoming, circulating and traded products in Indonesia since October 17, 2019.

In addition, the target of 10 million halal-certified products in 2022 demands the availability of a number of supporting devices that must be met. As of April 2022, BPJPH already has 11 LPHs and an increase of 19 LPHs who received accreditation certificates this Thursday.

"The availability of LPH with its halal auditors and laboratories is ready to conduct halal product testing. The current existence of 30 LPHs can accelerate the achievement of halal certification targets," he said.

He said, based on Law Number 33 of 2014, there are three main actors in the implementation of guarantees for halal products in Indonesia. First, BPJPH as the regulator and issuer of certificates. Second, LPH as a product halal examiner.

"Third, the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) as the party authorized to determine the halalness of the product," he said.

Meanwhile, Plt. Head of the BPJPH Sidik Sisdiyanto Cooperation and Standardization Center said, with this 30 LPHs, people have many choices so that they can accelerate the achievement of halal certification.

As an effort to accelerate the formation of LPH, BPJPH also collaborated with 58 State Islamic Religious Universities (PTKIN).

"Seven of them also received LPH accreditation certificates today," he said.

The seven PTKINs have just received halal accreditation as LPH, namely UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta, UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung, UIN Raden Fatah Palembang, UIN Sultan Thaha Jambi, IAIN Palangka Raya, UIN Walisongo Semarang, and UIN Maulana Malik Ibrahim Malang.