Food and Beverage Registration in Indonesia: BPOM, Labels, Halal
Food and beverage registration for importers in Indonesia: who holds the BPOM number, the documents, each shipment's approval, the label and halal.
References (8)
- Peraturan BPOM No. 23 Tahun 2023 on processed food registration — Articles 3, 9, 11, 12, 17, 20–29, 48–53 and Annex IV. Article 65 revokes Peraturan BPOM No. 27 Tahun 2017
- Peraturan BPOM No. 27 Tahun 2022 on the import of drugs and food, as amended by Peraturan BPOM No. 28 Tahun 2023 — Article 3, the SKI Post Border
- Peraturan BPOM No. 31 Tahun 2018 on processed food labels, as amended by No. 20 Tahun 2021 and No. 6 Tahun 2024 — Articles 7, 30 and 36
- PP No. 28 Tahun 2025 on risk-based business licensing — Article 206(5)–(7), the importer number; Article 550(b) revokes PP No. 5 Tahun 2021
- UU No. 18 Tahun 2012 on Food — Article 97, labels on imported food
- PP No. 42 Tahun 2024 on halal product assurance, in force 17 October 2024 — Articles 145–152 and 160
- Peraturan BPJPH No. 4 Tahun 2026 on halal checks for imported products, signed 7 August 2026 — Articles 6 and 12
- Kemenko Perekonomian (Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs), press release HM.02.04/361/SET.M.EKON.3/10/2026, 16 October 2026: the planned amendment of PP 42/2024, Articles 160 and 161, and the revocation of Peraturan BPJPH No. 4 Tahun 2026
Processed food and drink imported for sale in retail packaging need food and beverage registration in Indonesia: a marketing authorisation from BPOM (Badan Pengawas Obat dan Makanan, the food and drug authority) for each product. Only an Indonesian importer appointed by the company in the product’s country of origin can apply (BPOM Regulation 23 of 2023, Article 9(1)).
Other requirements sit alongside it: an importer number, which is part of the NIB (Nomor Induk Berusaha, the business identification number) issued through OSS (Online Single Submission), a label in Bahasa Indonesia, halal certification where it applies and, for a few products, an SNI (Standar Nasional Indonesia) certificate.
The rules are in BPOM Regulation 23 of 2023, which revoked the 2017 regulation that much older guidance still describes (Article 65).
What an imported food product needs
| For | From | Set by | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Importer number | The company | OSS, as part of the NIB | PP 28/2025, Article 206(5) |
| BPOM registration | Each product | BPOM | BPOM Regulation 23/2023, Article 3(1) |
| Import approval | Each shipment | BPOM | BPOM Regulation 27/2022, Article 3, as amended |
| Indonesian label | Each product | The importer | Food Law, Article 97 |
| Halal certificate | Products under the halal duty | The halal agency, BPJPH, or a recognised foreign body | PP 42/2024, Articles 145 and 147 |
| SNI certificate | Mandatory-SNI products only | SNI certification | BPOM Regulation 23/2023, Annex IV |
The importer number is not a separate licence: how the NIB serves as one is set out in importing goods into Indonesia.
Who holds the BPOM registration
The importer that applies holds a food import licence and an appointment agreement with the company in the country of origin, and applies SMKPO (Sistem Manajemen Keamanan Pangan Olahan, the processed food safety management system), shown by an SMKPO certificate or a BPOM inspection result (Article 9(2) and (7)). The agreement is legalised, for example by a notary in the home country or by an Indonesian embassy (Article 9(5)).
Your own Indonesian company
A foreign company cannot register a product in its own name, but its Indonesian company can, once the brand owner appoints it as importer. A PT PMA, a foreign-owned limited liability company, or a PT Local can be that importer.
Whether a product line fits the company’s registered business activities is worth confirming before you apply.
An appointed importer
A brand owner without its own company appoints an Indonesian importer, which registers the product and holds the registration. The registration lasts only as long as the appointment: when the agreement ends, the registration stops being valid (Article 11(2)).
The agreement states the right to register and its term, and says so expressly if the appointment is exclusive (Article 9(3)–(4)).
How BPOM registration works
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Company account
The importer opens an account on BPOM's registration system, which BPOM verifies within 10 working days (Article 17(3)).
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Application and risk level
The product is entered with its documents and placed at one of three risk levels: medium-low, medium-high or high (Articles 20 and 21).
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Payment
A payment order follows, paid within 10 working days (Articles 23 to 27).
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Evaluation
BPOM's stated timelines: a medium-low product receives its certificate within one working day of payment, a medium-high product is checked within five, and a high-risk product within 30 at most (Articles 23 to 27). A request for more data restarts the count (Article 49).
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Registration issued
The product receives its number, beginning "BPOM RI ML" for imported food, valid for five years (Article 53(1); BPOM Regulation 31 of 2018, Article 36(2)).
Documents the application draws on
- A letter of appointment from the company in the country of origin
- A health certificate or a free sale certificate from the origin country’s authority
- A GMP (good manufacturing practice) or HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points) certificate for the overseas plant, or an equivalent (Article 12(2))
- A certificate of analysis for the finished product
- The product’s composition, production process, shelf life and label design
Annex IV lists the other documents for an imported product; which are needed depends on the product’s risk level.
Each shipment needs its own import approval
Registration covers the product. Each consignment also needs BPOM’s import approval, the SKI (Surat Keterangan Impor) Post Border, which covers one import and is held within seven calendar days of the customs release (BPOM Regulation 27 of 2022, Article 3, as amended by BPOM Regulation 28 of 2023).
What the label must say
Food imported for sale carries its label when it enters Indonesia, written in Bahasa Indonesia (Food Law, Article 97(2)–(3)). Other languages may appear beside the Indonesian (BPOM Regulation 31 of 2018, Article 7). The label gives, among other things:
- the product name and its ingredients
- the net weight or volume
- the name and address of the maker or importer
- the production date and code, and the expiry date
- the registration number
Where they apply, a halal statement and the origin of certain ingredients are added too. The importer or distributor is named after the words Diimpor/didistribusikan oleh (“Imported/distributed by”) (BPOM Regulation 31 of 2018, Article 30).
Halal certification for imported food
Foreign products entering Indonesia must carry halal certification (PP 42/2024, Article 145). For food and drink, Article 160 phases the duty in by business size. The phase-in ended on 17 October 2024 for medium and large businesses, and was set to end on 17 October 2026 for micro and small businesses (Article 160(1)–(2)). Food and drink made abroad are treated separately in Article 160(3), below.
A recognised foreign halal certificate is registered, not replaced
A certificate from a foreign halal body that has a mutual recognition agreement with BPJPH (Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal, the halal agency) does not need a new Indonesian certificate. The importer or its official representative registers it with BPJPH before the product is sold, and prints the registration number next to the halal label (Articles 147, 148 and 152). A new Indonesian certificate is applied for where no recognised body covers the product, or where the business chooses to (Article 146(3)).
For food and drink made abroad, Article 160(3) leaves the date to the Minister, to be set no later than 17 October 2026 after taking account of mutual recognition of halal certificates.
Later dates announced on 16 October 2026
The government has announced that it will amend PP 42/2024 so that the halal duty for food and drink made abroad starts on 18 October 2028, and micro and small businesses have until 17 October 2028. It also said it will revoke BPJPH Regulation 4 of 2026, which sets a halal check at the loading warehouse before each shipment (Articles 6 and 12). As at 19 October 2026 the amending regulation has not been published (Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs, 16 October 2026).
A business making its products here rather than importing them follows the domestic halal process.
Where SNI applies
Some processed foods are subject to mandatory SNI, and their SNI certificate is part of the BPOM application (BPOM Regulation 23 of 2023, Annex IV). Packaged drinking water is one (Minister of Industry Regulation 62 of 2024). How that certificate is obtained is explained in how to obtain an SNI certificate.
What it means in practice
In outline, the importer needs its company, its importer number, a food safety system and the brand owner’s appointment in place before the product is registered, and each shipment then needs its import approval. A recognised foreign halal certificate is registered before the product is sold (PP 42/2024, Article 147).
Renewal opens six months before the five years run out and closes 10 calendar days before (BPOM Regulation 23 of 2023, Article 48), so the date is worth noting the day the registration is issued.
MAM sets up the importing company, which then applies for the registration in its own name.
What else a company files once it is trading is in the compliance checklist for businesses.