BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Brunei government has recently held a dialogue with food business operators to reiterate that any business dealing with consumption products such as restaurants, food factories or home-based food business are now required to apply for the Halal certification.
According to a local news report on Friday, an amendment to the Certificate and Halal Label Amendment Order 2017 -- Brunei's Halal regulation, which was enforced on May 26, 2017, means that all businesses in the country that produce, supply and serve food and beverages are required to obtain a Halal certification, or risk being fined up to 8,000 Brunei dollars (5,831 U.S. dollars), or imprisonment not exceeding two years, or both. Further fines not exceeding 100 Brunei dollars per day will be levied for continuing offenses.
Food sellers who are already in operation, but have not acquired Halal certification, are given six months of grace period after May 26, 2017.
Those who have just started out their operation are given six months from the date of their starting operation to apply for the Halal certification and permit.
For businesses dealing with the sale or production/manufacture of non-food products, for example cosmetics, consumer goods, or non-oral pharmaceutical products, application for the Halal certification is not compulsory.
