OEM & Own Brands: Why a Factory's Certificate Is Not Necessarily a Product Certificate
Tell apart the certificate for the OEM contract manufacturing service from the halal certificate for an own-brand product.
Last reviewed 5 November 2026
ManaHalal note: Educational material for SME operators in Malaysia; not a verification, an application decision or advice that overrides JAKIM/JAIN/MAIN (Majlis/Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri, the state Islamic religious councils and departments). The scope of a certificate must be checked by holder, type of scheme, factory address, product and validity period. Amendments after 5 November 2026 must be checked before publication or application.
An entrepreneur creates a sambal brand and picks a factory that already has a halal certificate. Can they go ahead and print the halal logo on the bottle? Not necessarily. This is the most expensive misunderstanding in the OEM model.
Two layers of certification
| Layer | Scope | Main party | What must not be assumed |
|---|---|---|---|
| SPHM (Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certificate), Skim Pengilangan Kontrak/OEM (Contract Manufacturing/OEM scheme) | The contract manufacturing service at the agreed premises/scheme | OEM manufacturer | Not an automatic endorsement of every product |
| SPHM, relevant product scheme | The product applied for and approved, for example food and beverages | The applicant/SPHM holder, as determined by the actual arrangement | Cannot be used for another SKU/formulation without confirming the scope |
Under MPPHM (Manual Prosedur Pensijilan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certification Procedure Manual) 2020 (Amendment 2026) Procedure 18(8)(a)–(b), a manufacturer that offers contract manufacturing must hold an SPHM under the OEM scheme, but that certificate does not replace the halal certificate for a product. Every product that wants to use the halal logo needs to apply under the relevant product scheme.
Three common examples
- Own-brand sambal: brand owner A uses factory B. Confirm B's OEM certificate and the certification route for A's sambal before the logo is printed.
- Powdered drink in three flavours: each flavour/formula, manufacturer and product name used needs to be checked against the scope of the application; do not assume one flavour covers them all.
- An OEM factory that makes products for 30 customers: the factory's OEM certificate does not automatically certify all 30 brands.
Decision chart
What a brand owner needs to know
An SPHM is not just a stamp on the factory's poster. Check the holder's name, the actual address, the scheme, the product and the validity date, as well as the latest decision if ownership, formula or factory changes. A commercial OEM contract and rights over the brand do not by themselves give the right to use the Malaysian halal logo.
Actions for today
- List all SKUs, flavours, pack sizes and the factory that makes each one.
- Ask the factory for proof of a valid OEM SPHM and check it in the official directory.
- Get confirmation of the product certificate application route for your brand.
- Stop using the official halal label on any SKU not yet confirmed as within scope.
Official references
- JAKIM — MPPHM (Domestik) 2020, Amendment 2026 — see in particular Procedure 18(8), pages 50–52; fees in Procedures 7–8, pages 13–14.
- JAKIM — Pekeliling Pensijilan Halal Malaysia Bil. 2/2026 (Malaysia Halal Certification Circular No. 2/2026) — cancellation of the HCA (Halal Certification Agreement) circular; it does not cancel the OEM contract obligation in the MPPHM.
- Portal Halal Malaysia — Circulars.
- MyGovernment — Getting Halal Certification — application through MYeHALAL.