Halal Certification: Providing Certainty in Matters of Doubt (Syubhat)

[Surabaya, October 20, 2026] — Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) continues to contribute to strengthening human resources (HR) in the field of Halal Product Assurance (JPH) through the Halal Supervisor Training Batch 29. The program is part of ITS’s efforts to enhance the competencies of prospective Halal Supervisors so they can understand regulations, manage halal-related aspects, and consistently implement the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) within business operations.

One of the main sessions in the training, “Regulations and Scope of Halal Product Assurance,” was delivered by Prof. Setiyo Gunawan on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at the 5th-Floor Meeting Room, ITS Research Center Building. The session provided participants with an understanding of the regulations, scope, and mechanisms governing Halal Product Assurance in Indonesia.

During the training, Prof. Setiyo Gunawan, Head of the ITS Halal Study Center, also invited participants to understand halal certification from a more fundamental perspective through the concepts of halal, haram, and syubhat (doubtful matters). He referred to a hadith narrated by Bukhari and Muslim concerning matters that are clearly halal, matters that are clearly haram, and matters that remain doubtful.

“Indeed, what is halal is clear, and what is haram is clear. Between them are doubtful matters that are not known to many people.”

According to Prof. Setiyo, this concept provides an important perspective for understanding the role of halal certification. Matters that are clearly halal do not require further doubt, as reflected in KMA No. 1360/2021, concerning materials exempted from the obligation to obtain halal certification. Likewise, matters that are clearly haram do not require separate “haram certification,” as reflected in Appendices A and B of SNI 99004:2021.

The area that requires particular attention is syubhat, where the halal status of a material, process, or product has not yet been clearly established. This area is addressed, among others, through KMA No. 748/2021 on Types of Products Required to Obtain Halal Certification and KMA No. 944/2024 concerning Mandatory Halal Certification for Food and Beverages.

“Halal certification essentially provides certainty in areas that remain unclear. It is not intended to provide halal certainty for something that is already clearly halal, nor to issue a haram certificate for something that is already clearly haram. Rather, it provides certainty regarding aspects whose halal status has not yet been clearly established,” explained Prof. Setiyo, who also serves as Deputy Executive Director II of the East Java Regional Committee for Sharia Economy and Finance (KDEKS).

He then provided an example involving animal-derived products. Not all meat originating from animals that are inherently halal is automatically halal for consumption. Cattle, goats, and chickens are halal animals; however, the halal status of their meat is also determined by the slaughtering process and subsequent handling or processing.

This illustrates that Halal Product Assurance cannot focus solely on the type of material, but must also consider the processes through which the material passes before becoming a product consumed by the public.

This perspective is particularly important for Halal Supervisors because they are responsible for ensuring that halal aspects are considered not only in relation to materials, but also throughout procurement, production, storage, and product management. In this way, the implementation of the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH) can be carried out comprehensively and consistently.

Through the training program, ITS reaffirms its commitment to strengthening a credible, trusted, inclusive, and sustainable Halal Product Assurance ecosystem. Strengthening the competencies of Halal Supervisors is expected to support business readiness while further strengthening Indonesia’s Halal Value Chain from upstream to downstream.