Depok – Indonesia’s mandatory halal certification requirements have expanded beyond commercial restaurants to encompass critical institutional catering services. Four major sectors—hospitals, correctional facilities, airlines, and trains—now face comprehensive halal certification obligations that present unique operational challenges and supply chain complexities.

Legal Framework Drives Comprehensive Implementation

The regulatory foundation stems from Act No. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance, reinforced by Government Regulation No. 42 of 2024. These laws establish that all businesses, including public and commercial catering operations, must ensure their food products meet halal standards throughout the entire processing chain, from raw material selection to final presentation.

This legal framework transforms halal certification from an individual preference into a mandatory quality standard that affects institutional food service providers across multiple industries.

Hospital Catering Faces Complex Nutritional Requirements

Healthcare facilities encounter particularly challenging implementation scenarios due to diverse patient dietary needs. Hospitals must ensure that specialized medical diets—including low-salt, high-protein, and condition-specific meals—maintain halal certification while meeting therapeutic nutritional requirements.

Dr. Ir. Mulyorini Rahayuningsih Hilwan, M.Si, from the Halal Audit Quality Board of LPPOM, explains that the halal audit process becomes more challenging due to the existence of menus with special nutritional requirements. Hospital catering providers must register all menu options and alternative ingredients within the Halal Product Assurance System (SJPH), though halal-certified medical nutrition products are increasingly available to support menu development.

Correctional Institutions Navigate Diverse Population Needs

Correctional facilities face the challenge of providing halal-compliant meals to diverse populations while managing different serving systems compared to hospitals. The fundamental principle remains consistent: all food must be clean, suitable, and compliant with Islamic law.

Providing halal food in correctional institutions serves as a form of respect for religious rights for individuals from diverse backgrounds. The complexity of menu variations and potential changes in raw materials requires robust and consistent halal management systems to ensure ongoing compliance.

Airlines Manage International Supply Chain Complexity

Airline catering presents unique challenges, particularly on international routes where food may originate from various vendors and countries with different quality standards. The complexity increases when considering that alcoholic beverages are often served alongside halal meals on international flights.

Halal certification for airline catering applies specifically to main meals and excludes beverages due to alcohol service. Clear halal product markings must be prominently displayed and limited to certified sections, enabling Muslim passengers to make informed food choices during their journey.

Railway Catering Confronts Multi-Vendor Supply Challenges

Train catering services face significant supply chain obstacles as food often comes from multiple vendors along routes. This distributed sourcing model requires comprehensive integration into halal certification systems.

The primary challenge involves ensuring all vendors along railway routes register with the Halal Product Assurance System and comply with established procedures. Disciplined SJPH implementation can maintain food quality and halal compliance across every distribution point in the railway network.

Supply Chain Consistency Remains Critical Challenge

A fundamental issue affecting all catering sectors involves raw material selection practices. Many catering providers traditionally choose ingredients based on price and local market availability without considering halal certification status. This approach creates compliance gaps that must be addressed through systematic ingredient verification.

Catering providers are advised to register all menu options and alternative ingredients while prioritizing halal-certified components, especially for critical items such as meat, poultry, and spices. The government is expected to strengthen the halal supply chain by prioritizing certification for slaughterhouses and small poultry processing units, ensuring reliable halal ingredients for catering services.

Support Systems Facilitate Industry Transition

To assist catering businesses in navigating certification requirements, LPPOM offers comprehensive support services including free consultation and education programs. Companies unfamiliar with halal certification processes can access direct assistance through the Call Center at 14056 or WhatsApp at 0811-1148-696.

LPPOM also conducts free Introduction to Halal Certification classes during the second and fourth weeks of each month, with registration available through their official website at https://halalmui.org/pengenalan-sertifikasi-halal.

Building Trustworthy Food Ecosystems

The expansion of mandatory halal certification to institutional catering reflects Indonesia’s commitment to creating a comprehensive halal food ecosystem. With consistent SJPH implementation, robust system support, and adequate education assistance, the catering sector can overcome current challenges to deliver food services that are halal, healthy, and trustworthy across all institutional settings—from hospitals treating patients to trains serving travelers.

This transformation positions Indonesia as a leader in institutional halal food service while ensuring that citizens’ religious rights are respected across all public and commercial food service environments.

Original Article:

Yana. (2025, September 1). From hospitals to trains, these 4 types of catering services require halal certification. LPPOM MUI. Retrieved from https://halalmui.org/en/from-hospitals-to-trains-these-4-types-of-catering-services-require-halal-certification/