Halal certification will be mandatory for all food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic products from October 2019. Promoted as a Halal Product Guarantee, the certification forms part of the bid to make Indonesian products more competitive in the international market, especially among the world’s estimated 1.9 billion global Muslim consumers.

According to the Indonesian Food and Beverage Association, however, it is unlikely that the October 2019 deadline will be met as it entails certificating tens of thousands of new products over the next 33 months. At present, only 7,000 halal certificates are issued each year in Indonesia.

The upcoming legislation will not prohibit the sale of such products as pork or alcohol provided they are clearly labelled as non-halal.

Reference:

http://economists-pick-research.hktdc.com/business-news/article/Regulatory-Alert-Asia/INDONESIA-Mandatory-Halal-Certification-Looms-for-Food-Pharmaceuticals-and-Cosmetics/raasean/en/1/1X000000/1X0A8TQV.htm

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