JAKARTA – The Indonesian Ulema Council’s Institute for the Study of Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics (LPPOM MUI) held the Grand Final Night of the Gen Halal Championship in Bogor on Saturday night (10/1/2026). This event aims to strengthen understanding and halal awareness among Indonesia’s young generation.

Rebranding from Halal Olympiad

LPPOM MUI’s Director General, Muti Arintawati, explained that this competition is a revival of a previous program known as the Halal Olympiad.

“We have organized this type of competition before. In 2025, we revived it with an improved concept and rebranding, which gave birth to the Gen Halal Championship,” said Muti.

High Enthusiasm from Across the Archipelago

This event received an extraordinary response from students throughout Indonesia. A total of 1,493 students registered online. Through competitive selection stages, 45 finalists were chosen to participate in an intensive three-day bootcamp that began on January 9, 2026.

These finalists represented 13 provinces, 20 cities, and 32 schools from various parts of Indonesia. Interestingly, the competition was not only participated in by Muslim students, but also non-Muslim participants who made it to the final round.

“This fact demonstrates that halal is a universal value,” Muti emphasized.

Explore, Compete, Inspire

Carrying the theme “Explore, Compete, Inspire”, the Gen Halal Championship was designed to encourage participants to deepen their knowledge about halal comprehensively. The hope is that they will become ambassadors and advocates for a halal lifestyle in their respective regions.

“We hope that when you return to your hometowns, bring this halal inspiration and apply it in your daily lives,” Muti told the participants.

The Urgency of Halal Literacy in Indonesia

Muti highlighted the condition of halal literacy in Indonesia, which still needs improvement, despite the country having a Muslim majority population.

“Therefore, various efforts must be made so that halal can become the community’s lifestyle,” she said.

She emphasized that without adequate knowledge about halal, society will not demand business operators to guarantee the halal status of their products.

“Consumer demands will emerge if they have sufficient knowledge. Thus, halal is expected to develop rapidly to improve the nation’s quality,” she explained.

Preparing the Halal Ecosystem of the Future

MUI’s Deputy Chairman and LPPOM Supervisory Board member, Cholil Nafis, views this event as a strategic momentum to prepare the halal ecosystem through young people who have high halal awareness.

“This is a brilliant program, preparing the halal ecosystem and halal-conscious young generation to become drivers in creating halal in all fields,” said Cholil.

According to him, with good halal understanding, the young generation can contribute to improving the world, building civilization, and making halal a primary lifestyle.

Original Article:

Antara News. (2026, January 11). LPPOM gelar Gen Halal Championship perkuat literasi halal anak muda.  Retrieved from https://www.antaranews.com/berita/5344669/lppom-gelar-gen-halal-championship-perkuat-literasi-halal-anak-muda