Halal Certification Requirements for MSMEs: Between Consumer Protection and the Burden of Compliance

Laelatul Badriyah (Faculty of Law, Universitas Diponegoro)
Mohammad Reza Fachruddin (Faculty of Sharia and Law, UIN Walisongo Semarang)

WiShEL
Vol. 2 No. 2 (2026): Walisongo Journal of Sharia Economic Law

The implementation of mandatory halal certification in Indonesia is part of the government’s efforts to provide legal certainty, protect consumers, and enhance the competitiveness of products in both the domestic and global markets. The enactment of Law No. 33 of 2014 on Halal Product Assurance, along with its implementing regulations, requires products entering, circulating, and being traded within Indonesia to hold a halal certificate in accordance with applicable regulations. Nevertheless, its implementation still faces various challenges, such as low compliance rates among business operators, limited understanding—particularly among micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs)—as well as administrative and institutional obstacles in the certification process. This study aims to analyze the implementation of halal certification requirements in Indonesia and to assess the effectiveness of legal regulations in ensuring halal products. The study employs a normative legal research method using both the statutory approach and the conceptual approach. Primary legal sources consist of laws and regulations regarding halal product assurance, while secondary legal sources are drawn from relevant literature, academic journals, and legal documents. The analysis is conducted qualitatively by examining the alignment between legal norms and their implementation. Research findings indicate that the halal certification requirement has strengthened legal protections for consumers, increased public trust in products, and spurred the development of the national halal industry. However, the effectiveness of its implementation is still influenced by institutional capacity, the accessibility of certification services, the level of awareness among business operators, and the effectiveness of government oversight. Therefore, it is necessary to strengthen interagency coordination, simplify certification procedures, increase assistance for MSMEs, and ensure consistent law enforcement so that the objectives of the halal product assurance system can be optimally achieved.