Malaysia: Jakim appoints TPM Biotech as halal panel laboratory

The Malaysian Times

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 4: TPM Biotech Sdn Bhd has been appointed as THE Department of Islamic Development Malaysia’s (Jakim) first halal panel laboratory in an effort to help speed up the Halal Malaysia validation and certification process.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom

A Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the measure under the National Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) was taken to cope with the vibrant growth of the halal industry in this country which called for a faster certification process.

“The industry now has the option to either engage the services of the Department of Chemistry at no charge, but takes about 30 days to process, or engage the panel laboratory which charges according to analysis parameters and results can be obtained within 15 days,” he said.

He was speaking to the media after signing a memorandum of understanding on the appointment TPM Biotech as Jakim halal panel laboratory, here, today.

According to him, besides TPM Biotech, there were three other laboratories qualified to be considered for the halal panel namely, the Research Institute of Halal products, Universiti Putra Malaysia; Unipeq Sdn Bhd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia; and the Melaka Biotechnology Corporation.

Jamil Khir said TPM Biotech was selected based on the conditions and terms set by Jakim, among them, having obtained accreditation from Standards Malaysia under the Malaysian Laboratory Accreditation Scheme, has an Internal Halal Committee and adopting the ‘sertu’ cleansing procedure.

According to Jamil Khir the period of appointment was for one year and the laboratory would be monitored from time to time during the term.

“The recognition may be withdrawn at any time if it fails to comply with the conditions that have been set,” he said.

He said TPM Biotech provides analysis specially for DNA Extraction Based on DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit (Qiagen) and Identification of Porcine Specific DNA Sequence using PCR.

Meanwhile, he said, Malaysia Halal Analysis Centre (MyHAC) was expected to be operational by middle of this year.