The Halal Product Assurance Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BPJPH) continues to educate businesses to ensure they are prepared for the second phase of mandatory Halal certification starting in October 2026, including pharmaceutical products. In fact, mandatory halal certification should be seen as a transition towards a higher quality and more efficient pharmaceutical industry.
Compulsory Halal Certification 2026 is not only a deadline, but also an opportunity to transition towards a more secure pharmaceutical industry, in terms of safety, quality, and Halal Certification. We call on all industry participants to reflect on affected raw materials and production processes as soon as possible, "said E.A. Chuzaemi Abidin, Deputy Director of the BPJPH (Halal Product Assurance Agency) responsible for guiding and supervising Halal products, at the 2025 PT Kalbe Farma Tbk Mid Year Forum held in Kailapagudin, Jakarta on July 17, 2025.
In order to support the industrial sector, Chuzaemi further stated that the government will continue to take accelerated measures, including promoting the import of raw materials through accelerated certification by overseas halal institutions (LHLN), and cooperating to recognize halal certificates through mutual recognition agreements (MRA).
If foreign halal institutions in their own countries are recognized, it will help industries importing materials from various countries. Therefore, we also encourage Indonesian expatriates overseas to establish LHLN and support the global halal ecosystem. ”
At the seminar, Chuzaemi also emphasized that halal certification is not only important for products, but also for support services. She said, "We have found some cases where logistics services mix halal products with non halal products. That's why logistics services are also included in the category that must undergo halal certification to ensure the halal nature of products from upstream to downstream
According to the implementation of Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024 on the protection of halal products, there are different arrangements for mandatory halal certification of certain types of drugs. The mandatory halal certification for natural medicines, quasi medicines, and health supplements will begin on October 17, 2021 and end on October 17, 2026. The mandatory halal certification for over-the-counter and prescription drugs will begin on October 17, 2021 and end on October 17, 2029. The mandatory halal certification for prescription drugs that exclude psychotropic drugs will begin on October 17, 2021 and end on October 17, 2034.
At the discussion meeting, he also clarified some technical issues raised by the attendees, including the issue of halal labeling. Dumping products and patient specific foods that are not publicly sold in the market are not required to be labeled with halal labels. However, its production facilities such as hospital kitchens still need to obtain halal certification.
BPJPH's efforts to educate the industry through such forums will continue as a collaborative approach in halal product assurance supervision and guidance, leading to an industry that complies and adapts to increasingly stringent halal product assurance regulations and policies, thereby supporting a dynamic, inclusive, and sustainable halal ecosystem.
