Halal Label for Food and Drink in Indonesia

Halal is a label for food and drink that Muslim allow to consume it because it appropriate to shariah (Islam).

In the opposite of term halal is haram, which is refers to food and drink that are not appropriate to shariah.

As an example for halal and haram, a cow meat is halal for Muslim to consume, but it will become haram if the cow were not slaughtered by the butcher in the name of Allah. If a Muslim consume haram food, he will get sin.

In Indonesia, there is a special situation about labeling food and drink. Did you know that many food and drink product in Indonesia do not have halal certificate.

Those product who do not have halal certificate are J-Co Donuts, Bread Talk, Roti Boy, Papa Rons Pizza, Izzi Pizza, Baskin ‘n Robbins, Richeese Keju, Coffee Bean, Dapur Coklat, Starbucks Coffee, Solaria, Hanamasa, Rice Bowl, Ded Bean, and Burger King.

If a product doesn’t have halal certificate, it doesn’t mean that all of those product is haram. Labeling is given by MUI, is an Indonesian cleric assembly which is have a right to give a label. Meanwhile, halal can be done as long as it fit according to shariah.

I don’t intend to reduce the MUI authority, since they don’t have any right to force food and drink company to register halal label to MUI. I think the company should have the awareness to register their product for halal certificate to provide confidence and relief to its Muslim customers.

Update:
MUI has given halal certificate to Solaria Restaurant