October 2026 Halal Requirement: A Readiness Guide for Food SMEs

For a small food-business owner, two months can sound like plenty of time.

But when the work involves not only the final product but also ingredients, suppliers, production processes and business records, that time can disappear quickly.

Government Regulation No. 42/2024 sets the transition period for halal certification of food and beverage products produced by micro and small enterprises through 17 October 2026. BPJPH says this phase takes effect from 18 October 2026.[1][2]

For medium and large businesses in these categories, the corresponding transition ended earlier, in 2024.

October 2026 therefore has particular significance for micro and small food businesses.

Start with ingredients, not the halal logo

One of the easiest mistakes is to view certification primarily as a packaging exercise.

The process begins much earlier.

For a frozen-food producer, for example, the relevant question is not simply whether the primary ingredient appears straightforward. Seasonings, sauces, additives, processing aids and their suppliers also matter.

The same logic applies to bakeries, packaged snacks, beverages, sauces and neighbourhood restaurants.

BPJPH has reiterated that the October 2026 phase also covers relevant raw materials, food additives and processing aids under the regulatory categories.[3]

An ingredient inventory is therefore a useful starting point.

What is the ingredient?

Who produces it?

Where is it purchased?

Has the supplier changed?

Which ingredients are used only occasionally?

Traceability is difficult when the business itself does not consistently know what goes into the product.

Suppliers are part of readiness

Small businesses often choose suppliers through a combination of price, availability and long-standing relationships.

Certification adds another reason to keep the relationship documented.

A seemingly minor supplier change can alter the supporting information associated with an ingredient.

That does not mean a microbusiness needs the procurement system of a multinational corporation.

A simple record can begin with:

ingredient name;

brand or producer;

supplier;

relevant supporting information;

and the date of the latest change.

The purpose is not bureaucracy for its own sake.

It is to help the owner understand what is entering the production process every day.

Self Declare does not mean no verification

The term Self Declare can be misleading if taken literally.

It can sound as if a small business merely declares that a product is halal and receives a certificate.

That is not how the mechanism works.

BPJPH sets eligibility criteria including an NIB identifying the business as micro or small, ingredients whose halal status has been established, a simple and controlled production process, and verification by a Halal Product Process Assistant (Pendamping PPH).[4]

For 2026, BPJPH opened 1.35 million free certification slots through its SEHATI programme for eligible MSMEs using the Self Declare route.[5]

The 1.35 million figure is the programme quota announced for the year. It should not be interpreted as the number of slots necessarily still available when a particular business applies.

Small restaurants can also qualify—with conditions

A relevant change has expanded the programme's usefulness for food-service businesses.

BPJPH says Head of BPJPH Decision No. 146/2025 allows categories such as warteg, Sundanese food stalls, Padang restaurants and similar small food businesses to use the Self Declare/free-certification route when the applicable conditions are met.[6]

That makes the issue relevant beyond packaged-food manufacturers.

But the qualifying phrase is important.

Eligibility still depends on the criteria.

A business whose ingredients, process or operating model fall outside the Self Declare conditions needs to use the appropriate certification route instead.

Six areas worth checking now

As a GATICORP editorial framework, rather than an official BPJPH checklist, food MSMEs can begin with six areas.

1. Business identity

Make sure the NIB and business scale accurately reflect the current enterprise.

2. Products

Identify which products and variants will be included. Do not rely on a product list that exists only in the owner's memory.

3. Ingredients

Create a consistent inventory of raw materials, additives and processing aids.

4. Suppliers

Document sources and establish a simple method for recording supplier changes.

5. Production

Review storage, preparation, processing, equipment and potential contact with materials that are not suitable for the halal process.

6. Certification route

Determine whether the business meets Self Declare/SEHATI criteria or needs another certification mechanism.

These steps do not replace the formal requirements. Their purpose is to reveal what still needs to be organised before an application begins.

The rule does not mean every product must become halal

This distinction matters.

Government Regulation 42/2024 states that products originating from prohibited ingredients are exempt from the halal-certification requirement, but they must carry information identifying them as non-halal.[1]

The regulation therefore does not mean every food sold in Indonesia must be reformulated to become halal.

The framework is about certainty of status and compliance with the requirements applying to each type of product.

Compliance can improve operations

BPJPH has encouraged businesses to view halal certification through concepts such as transparency, traceability and consumer trust.[7] That is the regulator's position, not evidence that certification automatically increases sales.

From an operational perspective, however, preparation can have useful side effects.

Owners gain a clearer understanding of their ingredients.

Supplier records improve.

Recipe changes become more disciplined.

Production processes become easier to explain.

Those practices have business value before any marketing claim is made.

The October deadline can therefore be approached with a better question than:

“When do I need the certificate?”

A more productive question is:

“Are my ingredients, suppliers and processes organised well enough to be certified?”

Because the certificate is ultimately an outcome.

Readiness lives in the process that produces the food every day.