The Importance of Halal Certificates in Halal Food Using the Digital Platform

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the urgency and implementation of halal certification for food businesses operating through digital platforms, in the context of Islamic business ethics and consumer protection. The global shift to digital platforms, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has significantly altered business practices, particularly in the food industry. For Muslim-majority countries like Indonesia, this shift presents an urgent challenge: ensuring that food products traded online comply with halal standards. Although the Indonesian government has introduced halal certification mechanisms, including self-declaration programs, the implementation remains fragmented and underutilized among digital platform users. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method through literature-based analysis. The findings reveal that the halal certification process in Indonesia—while regulated under BPJPH and supported by digital applications such as SIHALAL—has not been fully adopted by micro and small businesses operating online. Factors such as lack of awareness, limited technical understanding, and insufficient socialization contribute to this gap. Moreover, there remains a disconnect between regulatory frameworks and platform-based business practices. The study highlights the importance of aligning halal certification mechanisms with the realities of digital commerce to ensure consumer trust and religious compliance. Without structured intervention, including inter-agency collaboration and platform-level enforcement, halal assurance on digital platforms risks becoming symbolic rather than substantive. The urgency lies not only in religious observance but also in building inclusive, ethical digital markets that respect Islamic principles