Role of Indonesian Council of Ulama in Halāl Certification and Product Guarantee

Abstract

The current research analysed the role of Indonesian Council of Ulama in halāl certification after the enactment of Law No. 33 of 2014. The Indonesian Council of Ulama is Indonesia’s peak clerical body with the authority to specify halāl and Harām fatwas of a product. It plays a crucial role in helping the government to assure halāl certification of the product before it is consumed. According to publicly available data, there are 85 percent of food, beverages, and cosmetic products with unidentified halāl certification circulating in Indonesia. Moreover, there are foods and beverages that put halāl label illegally without any halāl testing on the products. This issue may cause concern for Indonesian people, as majority of them are Muslims. The current study applied library research method to retrieve secondary data on halāl certification of food and beverages, which was in accordance with the Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halāl Product Guarantee. The study determined that the involvement of the Indonesian Council of Ulama to establish legal certainty for halāl and Harām food and beverage products after the enactment of Law No. 33 of 2014 for Guaranteed Halāl Products (JPH) was critical. Even though, the halāl certification procedure is handled by BPJPH, the Indonesian Council of Ulama has a role to play in halāl certification by issuing a halāl fatwa for a product. It also helps to accredit Halāl Inspection Agency and certifying halāl auditors.