MUI Halal Agency Responds to Suspected Pork Fat in Free Meals Program Trays

Jakarta, MINA – The Assessment Institute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics of the Indonesian Ulema Council (LPPOM MUI) has emphasized that food packaging in direct contact with food must be halal-certified, following allegations that pork-based lubricants were used on trays for the Free Nutritious Meals (MBG) Program.

“The step of certification is not only to fulfill regulatory obligations but also a form of moral responsibility for producers to protect consumers,” said Muti Arintawati, Director of LPPOM MUI, in Jakarta on Monday.

Muti explained that regulations on food packaging certification are outlined in Government Regulation (PP) No. 42 of 2024. This provision applies to both local and imported products, with full enforcement beginning in October 2026.

Although the full mandatory halal certification from the Halal Product Assurance Agency (BPJPH) for packaging will not take effect until 2026, she said this finding shows that the risks to safety and halal integrity are already present.

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“For LPPOM, early preparation is key to ensuring consumers remain protected,” Muti stated.

She said producers and importers still have time to prepare, but the MBG tray case proves that waiting until the deadline is not a wise choice, as the risks are already evident.

An investigation by the Indonesia Business Post (IBP) in the Chaoshan industrial area of Guangdong, China, a production hub for global market trays uncovered indications of non-food grade materials being used. Furthermore, there are allegations that industrial lubricants containing pork fat were used in the tray production process.

From a safety perspective, a March 2024 test by the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) on 100 trays in Central Java found that 65 did not meet standards due to heavy metal content exceeding safe limits. Exposure to dangerous metals could potentially lead to serious health issues, including nerve damage.

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According to her report, Muti said that out of the thousands of trays used in the MBG Program, only one product has a halal certificate registered on the BPJPH website: the Food Tray 5 Sekat MBG from PT Gasindo Alam Semesta, with ID31210023468990625.

“This fact shows that halal certification efforts for packaging are still very limited and need to be expedited,” she said.

Additionally, LPPOM stressed that packaging migration tests must be conducted to ensure no hazardous substances like lead, cadmium, BPA, or phthalates transfer into the food. This would guarantee health and safety aspects are met in line with halal standards.

“The case of alleged pork fat in the MBG trays is a loud alarm that halal certification for food packaging should not be considered a mere formality,” she concluded. [Shibgho]

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Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)