A bright smile lit up Iri Susanti’s face as she stood on the UGM Integrated Research and Testing Laboratory Auditorium (LPPT UGM) stage on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 4, 2025.
She, along with other entrepreneurs in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME), had just received halal certification for their products.
“I’m happy that my business is now halal certified,” said Susanti, who runs a traditional snack business in Yogyakarta.
As one of the 100 MSME entrepreneurs receiving halal certification, Susanti expressed her gratitude, saying the program greatly helped MSMEs obtain halal certification.
“Nowadays, halal certification is like a brand, so it’s very important for us.”
The same joy was visible on Ramiyanti’s face.
The district office initially offered her and her community of MSME entrepreneurs in Sendangadi the opportunity to join the certification process.
Afterward, they received direct assistance until they were certified.
Now, Ramiyanti’s chip products are halal certified, giving her greater confidence in selling her products.
“I hope this will make consumers trust MSME products more, leading to increased sales,” said Ramiyanti.
The Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) organized the halal certificate handover event in collaboration with UGM’s Halal Examination Institute (LPH UGM), LPH UIN Sunan Kalijaga, and the Indonesian Halal Product Process Assistance Agency (LPPPH) Edukasi Wakaf Indonesia.
Professor Abdul Rohman, representing LPPT UGM, stated that this program reflects UGM’s commitment to promoting and fostering a halal product ecosystem in society.
LPH UGM aims to support entrepreneurs in providing local and international halal assurance to customers.
“Ensuring your product is halal is the first step before competing with other products in the future,” Professor Rohman emphasized.
Haikal Hassan, Head of BPJPH, also shared this enthusiasm.
He stressed the importance of supporting local products in obtaining halal certification.
“We are ranked eighth in halal product production, still behind several countries, even though we have the highest consumption of halal products. This means we consume many imported products, which is a challenge for us to address,” the Head of BPJPH, also known as Babe Haikal, said.
He praised the certification handover as a positive step.
He cited Australia and the United States, which have already implemented halal certification for their products.
He observed that contemporary consumer preferences, including the demand for plant-based and ethically sourced animal products, align closely with halal values.
He urged entrepreneurs to be trustworthy in their practices.
“Since this is a responsibility, you are obliged to ensure that your products remain free from any haram elements so consumers can be guaranteed products that are compliant, safe, and secure,” he concluded.
Author: Lazuardi
Editor: Gusti Grehenson
Post-editor: Lintang