Indonesia begins mandatory Halal certification on drugs and cosmetics

Jakarta. All drugs and cosmetics imported, distributed and sold in Indonesia must be halal certified by government-appointed agencies as of Sunday, as required by recent laws.

The government has created the Halal Product Guarantee Agency, or BPJPH, which coordinates with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to implement a new halal quality regime.

Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world.

“The halal certification mandate for drugs, cosmetics, and used and used products now comes into effect as we begin to implement the second stage of the new halal quality regime from October 17, 2021 to the same date in 2026” , said the Minister of Religious Affairs. Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said in a statement.

Spent and used goods attributed in halal product regulations are those containing elements of animal origin and may include personal care products, clothing, headgear, accessories, household equipment, packaging materials. food and beverage, stationery, office supplies; and medical devices.

The first stage of the new Halal Quality Regime began in October 2019, covering food, drink and the animal slaughter process.

Yaqut said there is a wide range of products to be halal certified and it takes five years for each step to be fully implemented.

“The coverage of halal product insurance is very extensive, covering food, drink, medicine, cosmetics, chemicals, biotechnology products, genetically modified products and used products commonly used by the population”, he wrote.

“A gradual implementation of mandatory halal certification is inevitable. “

Prior to the new regime, certification and halal labeling was carried out only by the MUI, sometimes causing overlaps of authority between the board and the government agency for pharmaceutical and food oversight (BPOM).

The BPJPH, which reports to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, has overseen the entire Halal certification system since 2019 but it still relies on the MUI for the appointment of Halal Auditors and Halal Examination Agencies (LPHs).

A key difference from the previous regime is that the government is now allowed to assess and sanction halal examiners for any non-compliance.

Recent regulations on halal quality products are complementary to the so-called omnibus law, which brings together around 80 related laws aimed at bringing about major structural reforms in businesses and creating more jobs for people.