Keep present system of 'halal' labeling

The Indonesian Ulemas Council's (MUI) recent pullout from a team deliberating a government draft decree on the labeling of halal products caused deep apprehension among Moslems. Tini Hadad of the Indonesian Consumers Organization (YLKI) talked to The Jakarta Post about the topic.

Question: How do you see the problem?

Answer: I support MUI's decision. We cannot let manufacturers put halal labels on their products, as they want to, without an MUI halal certificate. Not all of them have the authority to do so judging from the fact that not all of them are Moslems. MUI has the experts so let them handle the certification.

Q: Do you think it is necessary to regulate halal labeling?

A: The new Law on Food (1996) indicates that halal labeling comes only as a voluntary act on the part of manufacturers. This is based on their own interests rather than on the consumers'. There is no obligation for them to do so.

So a government regulation requiring all food manufacturers to use halal labels would be a good step. It would ensure consumers' right to get the right information about the food.

Yet I think the current certification system is enough if it is done by the Ministry of Health like the registration of food, beverages, medicine, and cosmetic products. Once a product is legally registered by the Ministry of Health, the manufacturer doesn't have to buy an additional label or sticker to put on product packages to inform consumers it has been registered as a healthy food by the authority.

By so doing there will be no additional funds needed to buy the sticker so there will also be no worries about consumers baring the burden of unnecessary product or promotion costs.

Q: Are you trying to say you disagree with the government's plan to apply halal stickers to food products?

A: That's right. We agree with the plan to establish a government regulation on halal labeling. What we are very much against is the plan to apply halal stickers, which it is presumed will cost Rp 10 (US$0.004) each, on every food product package.

What we are afraid of is the negative effect of the regulation. Although President Soeharto has said the labeling should not affect consumers, it is an impossible undertaking.

I don't think there would be any manufacturer in the world which would be willing to accept such a consequence all alone. As far as I know, all manufacturers are reluctant to allocate funds for the stickers.

So, sooner or later, it will surely affect the price of products. This, in turn, can cause high inflation for we have many more halal foods in the market than nonhalal ones, remembering Moslems are the majority here.

Q: Meaning...?

A: This means the funds needed for the labeling will also be much bigger.

Q: Are you suggesting that nonhalal labeling is much more efficient than halal labeling?

A: Sure, nonhalal labeling would be much more efficient. But, we have already had that law. There's no need to discuss the matter right now.

Once we had a regulation issued by the Ministry of Health stating that every product containing pig or its derivatives had to be labeled with a picture of a pig head informing people the product was nonhalal. It lasted for only a couple of years. I don't have any idea why?.

Q: Do you see a better way for consumers to be well informed about what they are buying without having to be burdened with unnecessary expenses?

A: By letting MUI do its job and give halal certificates to those who deserve it. Then, based on the certificate, the product is given a special code or a notification number by MUI to be printed in each package. Just like what the Ministry of Health does with its registration numbers.

Halal labeling is a means of communication between the manufacturer and the consumer saying that a certain product is halal. So, the most important thing is that consumers get the message, regardless of whether it is a separate sticker or printed on the package.

On this point, printing the message -- which is done by the manufacturer -- is much easier, more practical, efficient and cheaper than sticking a sticker on the package. Why don't we let them do that? Why go to the trouble of forming a special institution to handle the stickers' production and distribution?

Besides, it's not fair to MUI and the Ministry of Health. It's MUI and the Ministry of Health which are issuing the registration and the certificate. Why should somebody else get a financial advantage by just producing and selling the stickers?

Q: How about the monitoring of the labeling? How do consumers make themselves sure that a halal label means a halal product?

A: That's what I've been suggesting has to be made clear in the coming regulation. The monitoring has to be the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and MUI. As far as I know a halal certificate is given for two years. So, every two years it has to be renewed.

Strict control is a real need here to monitor that no expired certificates are used. Monitoring is also needed during the two years a certificate is valid. Careful monitoring will prevent a manufacturer from using ingredients suspected to have pork ingredients like gelatin or shortening.

According to YLKI's monitoring, we don't need to worry about domestic products. They all use vegetable oil. The ones that need special attention are imported products. We are not sure if they are free from pork ingredients. (swa)