Halal Certification Flow: from Registration to Certificate

Halal certification is a staged process. Each stage has inputs, outputs, and an authorized party. Understanding the sequence helps businesses prepare their documents and production lines properly. Here is the technical flow.

1. Confirming the Product Is Among Those Required to Be Certified

The first step is to confirm that your product falls into the group required to be halal-certified. KMA 748/2021 sets out the types of products required to be halal-certified along with their phasing. This regulation has been amended by KMA 944/2024. Make sure you refer to the version in force.

2. Preparing a Halal Product Assurance System

Before registering, a company needs to have a functioning halal product assurance system (SJPH). This covers halal policy, a management team, written procedures, and a materials registry. The two things most often examined are the list of materials used and their critical points.

Some materials need special attention because their status depends on the source:

• Taurine — an amino acid in energy drinks; historically derived from bovine bile, now generally synthetic. The alternative is synthetic taurine that has been halal-certified.
• Collagen — a protein from animal skin or bone. Its source determines its halal status, just like gelatin. The alternatives are fish collagen or halal-certified bovine collagen.
• Flavoring — the solvent is often alcohol and the base may be animal-derived. The alternative is halal-certified flavoring with a plant-based solvent and a plant or microbial base.
• Perfume and fragrance ingredients — generally high in alcohol solvent and may contain animal musk. The alternatives are non-alcohol perfume or halal-certified synthetic musk.

3. Choosing a Registration Pathway

There are two pathways. The regular pathway goes through a halal inspection body (LPH). The self-declare pathway is for micro and small businesses with low-risk products. The choice of pathway determines the documents to be prepared and who carries out the inspection.

4. Registration and Completeness Review

Registration is done electronically. Submitted documents are checked for completeness. If anything is missing, the applicant is asked to complete it. BPJPH service standards, including the requirements and timeframes for each type of service, are set out in Kepka BPJPH 243/2025. This decision revokes Kepka 120/2022.

5. Inspection by a Halal Inspection Body

The LPH carries out inspection and testing. Its scope covers materials, the production process, and facilities. An LPH must be accredited to operate. LPH accreditation refers to SNI ISO/IEC 17065:2012, which governs impartiality, confidentiality, personnel competence, and the handling of complaints and appeals.

The procedures for establishing, accrediting, defining the scope of activities, and revoking LPH approval are set out in PP 42/2024, as are the appointment and dismissal of halal auditors. This regulation replaces PP 39/2021.

6. Fatwa Hearing

The results of the LPH inspection become the material for the fatwa hearing. Determining halal status is the authority of the MUI Fatwa Commission or the Halal Product Fatwa Committee. At this stage, the halal status of a product is determined. Businesses do not determine halal status themselves.

7. Certificate Issuance

Halal certificates are issued only by BPJPH. Once the fatwa is determined, the certificate is issued and applies to the products listed in it. Changes to composition, suppliers, or production lines outside the scope of the certificate require an update.

What Most Often Holds Up the Process

From field experience, the obstacles are usually not at the final stage, but in two things:

1. Material documents that are inconsistent with the materials actually used on the production line.
2. Critical points that have not been traced back to the supplier, especially for animal-derived materials and alcohol derivatives.

Both stem from the same thing: a materials registry that is not in order. Fixing it before registering saves far more time than fixing it while the inspection is underway.

Summary of the Sequence

1. Confirm the certification obligation and its phasing.
2. Prepare the SJPH and materials registry.
3. Choose the pathway: regular or self-declare.
4. Register and complete the documents.
5. Undergo inspection by an accredited LPH.
6. Wait for the fatwa determination.
7. Receive the certificate from BPJPH.

If you want to tidy up your materials registry and critical points before registering, the SJPH platform from IndoHalal.id helps manage halal policy, materials registry, critical points, and internal audit in a single application.