BPJPH Head: The First Step in Halal Literacy Begins at Home

The Head of the Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH), Ahmad Haikal Hasan, stated that the first step in efforts to promote halal literacy and awareness begins within the family. Speaking in Jakarta on Monday, Haikal assessed that the family serves as the starting point for broader societal education, as habits of selecting and serving halal food at home will shape positive consumption behaviours across society as a whole. “It starts with simple things, such as ensuring the halal status of the ingredients we use in cooking, to choosing products that are already halal certified. These are small steps, but they have a significant impact,” he said. In addition to the educational approach, the government through BPJPH is implementing mandatory halal certification on a regulatory basis under Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance. This regulatory approach ensures that every product circulating in the market has undergone a valid examination and certification process, providing consumers with legal certainty and quality guarantees. “Producers or business actors have the responsibility to present dishes that are not only delicious but also guaranteed halal. This is done through halal certification,” said Haikal. “The government through BPJPH ensures that products labelled halal have undergone a standardised process in accordance with applicable regulations, resulting in products whose halal status is traceable and guaranteed,” he added. Furthermore, Haikal conveyed that the halal lifestyle is no longer just a trend but has become a societal need, with increasing awareness of product quality, safety, and clarity of status. Therefore, he continued, halal certification must be understood as a necessity for producers to meet consumer needs by producing quality products that are guaranteed halal. For this reason, BPJPH is also continuing to encourage increased public literacy on the importance of halal products, while inviting business actors to promptly undergo halal certification so that every marketed product provides a valid halal guarantee. “In the atmosphere of togetherness after Eid, I invite all of society to continue nurturing the spirit of maintaining relationships by prioritising values of halal, safety, and goodness in every aspect of life,” said Haikal. “In this way, every moment of togetherness not only brings happiness but also delivers peace and blessings for all,” he added.