The halal law in Indonesia will start in October 2019. Foreign producers hope for a weakening of the law.
The Halal law will be implemented in Indonesia from October this year. It imposes strict rules for producers and suppliers of food, cosmetics, medicines and other chemical products, reports Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI), the foreign trade agency of the Federal Republic of Germany.
From October 2019, the Halal law will be applied and all products are to be certified by 2024. Priority will be given to the food and beverage sector. The cosmetics, pharmaceutical and chemical industries in particular are hoping for a relaxation or postponement of the regulations.
Non-halal products have not yet had to be labelled. This will now change. The import and sale of non-halalal products to and in Indonesia will continue to be permitted. However, they must be identified as such.
New Halal authority
The newly founded Halal Authority Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH), which reports to the Ministry of Religion, is responsible for implementing the law. Their biggest challenge is the establishment of an inspection authority.
According to GTAI, foreign suppliers must have their production processes approved by Halal certifiers in their home country. These could be both state institutions and private companies that have received approval from BPJPH for the Indonesian market.
Source: Halal-Welt – Global Halal Business Magazine
