Indonesia’s Halal Product Assurance Organizing Agency (BPJPH) has recently revoked the halal certificate for fruit juice products, with the brand name ‘Nabidz’, as the brand violated its halal certification process.
Investigations revealed that the Nabidz brand owner as well as the Halal Product Process (PPH) assistants had deliberately manipulated the data on Nabidz halal certification applications.
The Nabidz brand was earlier registered as fruit juice products. However, later, the owner uploaded a photo and information that they were producing ‘halal-certified wine’. BPJPH received complaints from consumers which later took immediate action to revoke the certificate.
Fruit juice is a type of product that can be certified through a self-declaration mechanism, or via brand owner’s statement as it is considered as a non-risk product. The production of Nabidz fruit juice however includes fermentation process unknown to the certification body which requires a laboratory test that must be carried out by the Halal Examination Agency (LPH). Any product which contains alcohol can never be certified as halal if goes through the proper procedures.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has asserted that Nabidz wine is Haram (forbidden) for Muslims because laboratory tests have found a high alcohol content in the product. The halal certification is a grave error on the side of the brand owner and PPH for passing the product as grape juice.
In addition, MUI does not approve the ‘Halal’ status for any products whose names are associated with Haram for example wine. The Nabidz brand of fermenting grape juice with yeast is similar to making wine.
