Contents of Kepka BPJPH 57/2021: Five SJPH Criteria and Their Consequences

The obligation for halal certification does not stop at processing documents. There is a system that the company must run daily. The main reference on the business actor side is the Decree of the Head of BPJPH Number 57 of 2021 concerning the Criteria for the Halal Product Assurance System, which was later amended by Kepka 20/2023.

This regulation is important because it explains what is actually assessed when a company applies for halal certification.

Legal basis and its position

The obligation for halal certification is rooted in Law Number 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance. This law regulates the obligation for halal certification, the establishment of BPJPH, the role of the Halal Inspection Agency, and the authority of MUI in determining product halalness.

The rule was later amended through Law Number 6 of 2023. This amendment simplified the certification process, introduced the halal statement or self-declare scheme for UMK, and opened the way for the Halal Product Fatwa Committee.

Kepka 57/2021 sits at the technical layer. It translates the aforementioned obligation into concrete and verifiable criteria.

Five SJPH criteria

The Halal Product Assurance System is assessed through five criteria. All five are interrelated.

1. Commitment and responsibility. The company establishes a halal policy and appoints personnel to implement it.
2. Materials. The company ensures that all materials used have a clear and documented status.
3. Halal product process. Production stages are maintained so they are not contaminated by non-halal materials.
4. Product. The final product produced is consistent with the system being implemented.
5. Monitoring and evaluation. The system is checked periodically so that it does not only run on paper.

Practical consequences on the materials side

The materials criterion is often the heaviest point. Many materials have source-dependent status, so business actors need to trace their origin, not merely match names on labels.

For example, L-Cysteine (E920), a dough softener for bread that historically was extracted from human hair or poultry feathers. This material is used in mass-produced white bread, burger buns, and commercial pizza dough. The alternative is certified L-Cysteine from non-animal microbial fermentation, or plant-based dough softening enzymes.

Another example is rennet, the enzyme that coagulates cheese. Animal rennet comes from the stomach of calves that must be slaughtered according to sharia. This material is common in hard and semi-hard cheeses such as cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and gouda. The alternatives are microbial rennet from fungi or molds, or genetically engineered rennet (FPC) that is halal-certified.

There is also shellac (E904), a glossy coating from lac insect resin. Materially it is generally tolerated, but the process needs to be checked. Shellac is used in glossy coatings for candy, medicinal pills or supplements, and fresh fruit coatings. The alternatives are halal-certified shellac with verified solvents, or plant-based coatings such as pure carnauba wax.

For cosmetic products, fragrance or perfume materials generally have a high alcohol solvent and may contain animal musk. These materials are used in perfumes, spray deodorants, and scented body care products. The alternatives are non-alcohol perfumes or halal-certified synthetic musk.

This pattern shows one thing: generic material names are not enough. Documents on material origin, specifications, and supplier certificates become part of fulfilling the criteria.

Consequences for process and monitoring

The process criterion requires companies to ensure there is no mixing or cross-contamination between halal and non-halal materials. This concerns the production flow, storage, and equipment.

The monitoring and evaluation criterion requires the system to be checked periodically. This means the certificate is not the end of the work. After it is issued, the company must still keep its system running.

The role of institutions outside the company

Field inspection is carried out by the Halal Inspection Agency. LPH accreditation refers to SNI ISO/IEC 17065:2012, the standard for bodies certifying products, processes, and services. This standard regulates impartiality, confidentiality, personnel competence, complaint and appeal management, and accountability.

It should be noted that the determination of halalness is the authority of the MUI Fatwa Commission or the Halal Product Fatwa Committee. Halal certificates are only issued by BPJPH. Inspectors and facilitators do not determine the halal status of a product.

What it means for business actors

Kepka 57/2021 makes the halal obligation measurable. Companies can assess themselves against the five criteria before being inspected.

For UMK with low-risk products, Law 6/2023 opens the halal statement pathway. However, the principle remains the same: materials must be clear, the process must be maintained, and the system must be monitored.

For industry, these five criteria usually require neat and consistent documentation across production lines. Untraceable material critical points are often the main cause of a stalled process.

If your company needs to tidy up the five criteria in one place, the SJPH platform from IndoHalal.id helps manage halal policy, material registry, critical points, internal audit, and BPJPH certification readiness.