Custom Cakes, Packaging and Labels: When Can You Use the Halal Logo?

Tell the scope of a bakery premises certificate apart from packaged product certification, and check food labels and halal claims.

Last reviewed 5 November 2026

ManaHalal note: An educational guide to help you prepare. It is not a certificate, an approval or an official eligibility decision from JAKIM/JAIN/MAIN (Jabatan/Majlis Agama Islam Negeri, the state Islamic religious departments and councils). Operators need to check the requirements in force and the scope of their own application.

The label on a cake box is a marketing tool, but it can also carry an official certification claim. A common mistake is that operators assume buying halal ingredients, or holding a halal certificate for the premises, automatically gives permission to print the halal logo on every SKU, all packaging and all promotional material.

Tell three situations apart

No SPHM (Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certificate) yet: Do not use the Malaysian halal logo or any claim that gives the impression of having been verified by JAKIM/MAIN/JAIN.
Holding an SPHM for a bakery premises: Use the logo and statements only within the valid scope of approval, according to the conditions of use; check with the authorities if you want to print it on a box or on the label of a particular product.
Manufacturing packaged products for large-scale distribution: Check whether the SKUs and the factory need to be certified under the Skim Produk Makanan dan Minuman (Food and Beverage Product scheme), rather than relying only on the shop's SPHM.

JAKIM stresses that a halal certificate for a raw material does not automatically make the final product certified. The premises, the preparation method, the process and the product are also taken into account.

A good bakery label

The actual requirements depend on the food category, the way it is packed and how it is sold. For products subject to labelling rules, check things such as the product name, ingredients, relevant allergens/hypersensitivity information, net weight where applicable, manufacturer/packer information, date marking where it is required and storage instructions where needed.

Use the Peraturan-Peraturan Makanan 1985 (Food Regulations 1985) and the latest KKM (Ministry of Health) guidelines as your labelling reference, and get an expert check if you sell packaged food to distributors. Do not equate a “custom cake gift box” with a factory food SKU without looking at the legal context.

Decorations and product names

Menu names such as “Rum Raisin Cake”, “Beer Bread” or “Bacon Puff” can raise naming issues even if the operator claims to use halal alternatives. The MPPHM (Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certification Procedure Manual) lists the use of terms that resemble non-halal products or that are misleading among the categories that do not qualify. Avoid naming products in a way that invites misunderstanding; decide on a precise alternative term and check with the authorities when in doubt.

In the same way, an “edible image” from an outside supplier needs to go through an ingredient check (ink, wafer/rice paper, coating), not just a design check.

Decision chart for logo use

Checking the use of the halal logo on promotional material and boxes

Example: 2,000 cake boxes for a supermarket

A bakery with an SPHM receives an order for 2,000 cake boxes to be distributed to retail shops. This may change the operating model and the requirements for manufacturing documents, labels and product certification. Do not print the logo straight away just because the shop has a certificate; check the relevant scope and scheme first.

Output of this article: a label/product check file and a list of compliance decisions before any print run or campaign is approved.

Sources & status

This content was prepared based on sources reviewed on 2026-11-05. Final decisions and requirements are subject to JAKIM/MAIN/JAIN and the latest notices; information on fees, scope and instructions may change.