BPJPH prepares policy instruments for halal certification of MBG kitchens
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Halal Product Assurance Organising Agency (BPJPH) is preparing policy instruments to facilitate the halal certification process for Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units (SPPG), or kitchens under the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) programme.
“We will compile a special guide for SPPG halal certification to simplify the certification application process, allowing this acceleration to proceed in a more directed and measurable manner,” said Deputy for Halal Registration and Certification at BPJPH, Mamat Salamet Burhanudin, in a statement in Jakarta on Wednesday.
Mamat stated that the number of SPPG units with halal certification remains very low, at approximately only 4,000 out of 26,000 kitchens.
“BPJPH supports the Free Nutritious Meals programme, including through halal certification for Nutrition Fulfilment Service Units. Currently, only around 4,000 SPPG units have halal certification out of a total of about 26,000. This is a collaborative area of work that we must accelerate,” he said.
Therefore, Mamat said BPJPH is also working to speed up the process through training for SPPG halal supervisors, involving leaders and representatives from 40 Halal Product Assurance Training Implementing Institutions (Lembaga Pelaksana Pelatihan JPH), which play a role in meeting the need for halal supervisors as a primary requirement for halal certification applications.
“We hope that the role of the Halal Product Assurance Training Implementing Institutions can accelerate SPPG halal certification through halal supervisor training. Without the availability of halal supervisors, the certification process cannot run optimally,” said Mamat.
Meanwhile, Director of Halal Product Assurance Development at BPJPH, Mohammad Farid Wadjdi, stated that accelerating halal supervisor training is key to supporting the success of national programmes, including MBG.
“This meeting is very important because we are not only discussing training, but how to collectively accelerate the availability of halal supervisors, especially to support national programmes,” said Farid.
“Business actors applying for halal certificates are required to have halal supervisors as regulated in Article 50 of Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024,” he added.
He emphasised that the Halal Product Assurance Training Implementing Institutions also hold a strategic position as BPJPH’s main partners in strengthening national halal human resources.
“Going forward, we need to increase the number of trainings massively, accelerate the process without reducing quality, focus on priority needs such as SPPG halal supervisors, and strengthen coordination with BPJPH to remain aligned with national policies,” said Farid.