Indonesia Ready to Initiate Single Global Standard for Halal Products

Halal is now a symbol of cleanliness, a symbol of quality food, a symbol of elite products. Head of the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) Ahmad Haikal Hasan has called on the global Muslim community to agree on a single standard for halal products, with Indonesia ready to be the initiator of the movement. “Halal must be united, connected, and strong, because halal is togetherness. Therefore, halal must have a single standard like the ISO standard,” Haikal said during the opening of the D-8 Halal Expo Indonesia (HEI) 2026 in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that a single halal product standard reflects the unity of the global Muslim community, given that the basis of halal status is already established in the Holy Quran. However, with the economic development of Muslim countries today, halal status no longer functions solely in a religious context but also serves an economic function signifying product quality. According to Haikal, halal status has become a symbol of modern civilisation and prosperity, indicating that a product is made with attention to transparency, traceability, and quality assurance. “Halal is now a symbol of cleanliness, a symbol of quality food, a symbol of elite products,” the BPJPH Head added. Haikal further stressed that a single halal product standard is key to making Muslim-majority countries the main drivers of the world’s largest halal industry. He noted that the largest halal product producers are currently dominated by China, Brazil, and the United States. To realise this goal, Haikal confirmed that each D-8 member country already has a mutual recognition agreement for halal certification between member states. In addition to enhancing halal certification collaboration within the D-8, Indonesia will also invite 70 other countries to a meeting to discuss a single global standard for halal products. He envisioned that the global halal standard would be designed as comprehensively as ISO standards, with its own sub-standards for environmental and governance fields, and a single logo applicable worldwide. The major meeting is scheduled to take place in Jakarta next September, Haikal added.