KMA 748/2021 and Its Amendments: Products Required to Be Halal

The obligation for halal certification does not apply simultaneously to all products. The government sets it in stages through a list of product types. That list is set out in Minister of Religious Affairs Decree Number 748 of 2021 on Types of Products Required to Have Halal Certification.

This regulation was later amended through KMA 944/2024. This means businesses need to read two documents at once: the original provisions along with their amendments. Below is the content of the regulation and its practical consequences.

What Is Regulated

KMA 748/2021 establishes two main things. First, the product groups that fall under the halal certification obligation. Second, the phasing of that obligation, so that not all product groups must be certified at the same time.

This phasing is important for businesses. It provides an order of priority: which product groups are bound by the obligation earlier, and which come later. Because this regulation has been amended, businesses should ensure that the list and stages they use are the latest version, namely after KMA 944/2024.

Practical Consequences for Businesses

Once a product falls within a group required to have halal certification, the consequence is not merely filing paperwork. There are several things that need to be prepared.

1. Preparing a halal product assurance system

The certification obligation requires a system that runs, not just a one-off document. The reference for its implementation is Head of BPJPH Decree Number 57 of 2021 on the Criteria for the Halal Product Assurance System, which contains five criteria: commitment and responsibility, materials, halal product processes, products, and monitoring and evaluation.

That decree has also been amended through Kepka 20/2023. So, just like KMA 748/2021, businesses need to refer to the latest version.

2. Tracing materials back to suppliers

The materials criterion requires traceability. Some materials are critical points because their status depends on their source. For example:

• Rennet — the enzyme that coagulates cheese. Animal rennet comes from the stomach of a calf that must be slaughtered according to sharia. The alternatives are microbial rennet from fungi or molds, or genetically engineered rennet that is halal certified.
• Animal fat and shortening — solid fat for frying and baking. Lard from pigs is haram. The alternatives are palm oil, coconut oil, vegetable margarine, or shortening from halal-certified beef fat.
• L-Arginine and other amino acids — can be the result of microbial fermentation or extraction from animal sources. The safe option is the product of halal-certified microbial fermentation, with traceability documents from the supplier.
• Mono- and Diglycerides of Fatty Acids (E471) — the most common emulsifier in the food industry. Its source can be palm oil or animal fat. What is needed is E471 that is halal certified with a vegetable fatty acid source stated in the material certificate from the supplier.

These materials are commonly used in hard and semi-hard cheese, cookies, pastry, donuts, instant noodles, packaged fried products, bread, margarine, ice cream, chocolate, and even fitness supplements. This means the critical points of materials touch many product lines, including products that appear simple.

3. Preparing verifiable evidence

The claim "our materials are halal" is not enough. What is required is documentation that can be examined: material certificates from suppliers and traceability records. For businesses, this means recurring administrative work, not something done once and finished.

The Role of Inspection Bodies and Accreditation

Inspection is carried out by the Halal Inspection Body (LPH). The performance of LPH is bound by accreditation referring to SNI ISO/IEC 17065:2012, the standard governing impartiality, confidentiality, personnel competence, management of complaints and appeals, and accountability.

The LPH accreditation guidelines are set out in Head of BPJPH Decree Number 78 of 2025. These guidelines contain requirements, Pratama and Utama qualifications, scope of competence, fees, application flow, surveillance, and witness assessment.

For businesses, the consequences are indirect but real: inspection results must be accountable, and the appeal or complaint process has its channels. This protects businesses from unfounded inspections.

What Remains the Authority of Other Institutions

It should be understood that halal certificates are only issued by BPJPH. The determination of the halal status of a product is the authority of the MUI Fatwa Commission or the Halal Product Fatwa Committee. Businesses cannot declare their products halal on the basis of their own assessment, and conversely, no party outside that authority can determine the halal status of a product.

Practical Steps

1. Check whether your product falls within the group required to have halal certification according to KMA 748/2021 as amended by KMA 944/2024.
2. Map the phasing that applies to your product group.
3. Develop a halal product assurance system in accordance with the five criteria in Kepka BPJPH 57/2021 as amended by Kepka 20/2023.
4. List all materials, mark those with critical point status, and collect material certificates and traceability records from suppliers.
5. Prepare for inspection by an accredited LPH.

The halal certification obligation is ultimately a matter of system and document readiness. Businesses that map critical point materials from the start will find it easier to pass the next stages. To manage halal policy, material registry, critical points, and internal audits in one place, IndoHalal.id provides an SJPH platform that helps prepare BPJPH certification readiness.