The EU-Indonesia Business Network (EIBN) organised the info session “The Importance of BPOM Registration and the Halal Certification in entering the Indonesian Market” on Wednesday, 27th April 2016, in the Ekonid office.

Indonesia is the largest Muslim country in the world, and therefore much of its society is religiously bound to comply with strict procedures in managing their behavior. This includes also the consumption of foods and beverages. Therefore, in Indonesia, F&B standard monitoring includes also the Halal element, a real concern for Indonesian consumers which is addressed through the UUJPH [Undang-Undang Jaminan Produk Halal or Halal Assurance System]. Even though it is not in force as a requirement yet, obtaining Halal Certifications can prove to be a smart market entry move for EU companies, both for marketing reasons - 90% of the consumers are indeed Muslim -, and to prepare for the future implementation of Act 33. However, the process to obtain the Certification brings about challenges, which can signify lengthy administrative processes, internal production adjustments, and other steps which foreign companies need to consider prior to pursuing certification.

To provide related information, EIBN invited stakeholders closely related to the implementation of the registration process and Halal assurance systems, such as representatives from LPPOM MUI, BPOM and HFCE. In order to bring about the discussion of common issues which may be faced by EU companies when pursuing the Halal certification procedure, EIBN also invited one representative from Unilever in order for them to share their experience and practical perspectives with the audience.

The session was opened by the EIBN Project Manager Mr. Joaquim Torrinha, and the session was followed by presentations on:
• Food Safety Control Systems in Indonesia by Mrs Sintia Ramadhani , from Directorate of Food Safety Evaluation, National Agency of Drug and Food Control Indonesia (BPOM),
• Halal Certification in Indonesia by Mrs Ir. Muti Arintawati, M.Si, Vice Director of LP POM MUI
• A Sharing experience on CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN BPOM REGISTRATION & MUI HALAL CERTIFICATION by Mrs Marina Pergiwati, RDC Director Spreads, Dressings, and Foods Deploy SEAA from Unilever
• A webinar session on REGULATION COMPLIANCE RELATED TO FOOD AND BEVERAGES INDUSTRY by Dr Uly Nasution, Technical Auditor from Halal Food Council (HFCE)

All presentations and discussions were welcomed by the participants with high enthusiasm.

This Info-Session provided insights to all related parties to manage related enquiries from their national companies, providing clear and concise information which might make a large difference in regards to their future success in the Indonesian market. The session approached the Halal Certification requirements by both BPOM and the MUI.

This info session was part of the EIBN Info Session series programme for EU embassies, chamber of commerce and industries and business support organisations in Indonesia.