Bogor,
W Java, (ANTARA News) – The Indonesian government plans to set up an
international-standard halal (edible according to Islamic law) product
certificiation center, a minister said.
Agriculture Minister Anton Apriyantono said here on Tuesday the bill on
halal product guarantee was currently still being discussed at the
parliament, adding he hoped the discussion could be finished soon.
“If the bill is passed it could be used as a legal basis for the
establishment of the halal certification center which will also issue a
recommendation for foreign products to enter the Indonesian market,” he
said after opening the 2nd IMT-GT International Halal Science Symposium.
The minister said with the center it was hoped Indonesia could become a
center for production of international-standard halal goods.
He said the country already had complete institutional facilities such
as the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), the MUI Institute of Food,
Drugs and Food Studies, the Food and Drugs Supervisory Agency (BPOM)
and others to support the plan.
It also had complete personnel that master the halal issue such as ulema, academics and state officials, he said.
He said products that needed halal certification were not only food but also drugs, cosmetics and others.
He said many products had already been labelled halal but others had
not, particularly those produced by medium- and small-scale businesses.
“These products will be given special attention with regard to halal certification,” he said.
He said many food products in restaurants or food stalls did not have a
halal label as people never questioned about it nor did they demand for
it to be put on the food products.
The minister said while the bill was still being discussed at the
parliament, people could give inputs or convey their aspirations with
regard to it.
He said foreign products entering the country would also be required to
show a halal label because most Indonesians were muslims.
Non-halal products distributed in the country meanwhile should be labelled “for non-muslim consumption”, he said.(*)
