Halal Industry and Exports: Critical Materials and SJPH Readiness

Halal certification is not just a matter of a label on the packaging. For export-oriented industries, the certificate is the entry point to the market. But that door is only useful if the material supply chain and the company's internal system are truly ready. This article discusses the two points that most often determine this: critical materials and the implementation of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH).

Critical materials determine market reach

In processed products and supplements, some materials do not automatically have a clear status. Their source determines it. Four examples that often come up:

• Gelatin. A thickening protein from animal collagen. It is halal only if the source and the slaughtering are clear. Alternatives are fish gelatin, halal-certified beef gelatin, or agar-agar and carrageenan as plant-based substitutes.
• Collagen. A structural protein from animal skin or bone. The principle is the same as gelatin: the source determines it. Alternatives are fish collagen or halal-certified beef collagen.
• Whey and caseinate. Milk derivatives that are themselves halal, but the cheese-making process of their source may use animal rennet. Producers need to ensure microbial rennet or halal-certified animal rennet.
• Perfume and fragrance ingredients. Generally high in alcohol solvents and may contain animal musk. Alternatives are non-alcohol perfume or halal-certified synthetic musk.

These materials are commonly found in supplements, beverages, capsules, ice cream, yogurt, bakery products, and cosmetics. For industry, the question is not simply "halal or not", but whether supplier documents can be traced and accounted for during an audit.

Supplier documents are part of the system

Material traceability does not stop at the supplier's certificate. Companies need to keep material specifications, source origin, and supplier statements in an organized way. When there is a formulation change or a supplier change, those records must be updated. This is what distinguishes a living system from a pile of files used only once at registration.

For export markets, this consistency becomes a selling point. Buyers in destination countries generally ask for evidence that the product is not only certified, but also produced with a system that can be audited.

SJPH as the factory framework

The main reference for implementing SJPH on the business actor side is the Decree of the Head of BPJPH (the Halal Product Assurance Agency) Number 57 of 2021 on the Criteria for the Halal Product Assurance System. This decree contains five criteria: commitment and responsibility, materials, halal product processes, products, and monitoring and evaluation. The decree has been amended by Kepka 20/2023.

The five criteria are not an administrative checklist. Commitment and responsibility mean there is a halal policy that is carried out, not merely signed. The materials criterion requires an orderly material registry. Halal product processes cover separation and sanitation. The product criterion concerns the conformity of the final result. Monitoring and evaluation mean there is an internal audit and follow-up.

On the institutional side, Government Regulation Number 42 of 2024 on the Implementation of the Halal Product Assurance Sector regulates the procedures for establishment, accreditation, scope of activities, and revocation of approval of Halal Inspection Bodies (LPH), as well as the appointment and dismissal of Halal Auditors. LPH itself is accredited with reference to SNI ISO/IEC 17065:2012, a standard governing impartiality, confidentiality, personnel competence, complaint and appeal management, and liability.

For industry, this framework is important to understand because inspections are carried out by bodies subject to competence and impartiality standards. Inspection results do not depend on closeness, but on evidence.

Services and tariffs to know

The Decree of the Head of BPJPH Number 243 of 2025 on Service Standards at BPJPH sets out 27 types of services complete with requirements, timeframes, and tariffs. Its scope covers LPH accreditation, registration of LP3H and PPH Assistants, issuance of halal certificates, and facilitation codes. This decree revokes Kepka 120/2022.

With these service standards, business actors can plan time and costs earlier. This planning is important for industries chasing export schedules.

What to remember about authority

The determination of halalness is the authority of the MUI Fatwa Commission or the Halal Product Fatwa Committee. Certificates are only issued by BPJPH. Therefore, industry should not definitively declare its products halal before there is a determination and certificate. What a company can do is prepare evidence and systems.

Practical steps for industry

1. Map all materials, especially those of animal origin and alcohol derivatives.
2. Collect supplier documents and ensure their traceability.
3. Check the conformity of the five SJPH criteria with practices on the production floor.
4. Run internal audits and follow up on findings.
5. Update records whenever there is a formulation or supplier change.

Halal exports are not built by a single certificate. They are built by a traceable supply chain and a system that runs consistently. Both can be prepared starting now.

To manage all SJPH criteria in one application, including material registry, critical points, and internal audits, IndoHalal.id provides an SJPH platform that can help with BPJPH certification readiness.