Halal Guide

Menus, Recipes, Batches and Labels: Essential Records Even If You Sell on WhatsApp

Build records for recipes, production batches, orders and labels so products are easy to trace and control.

Last reviewed 5 November 2026

Important note: This ManaHalal guide is educational material. It is not an approval letter from JAKIM/JAIN/MAIN (Jabatan/Majlis Agama Islam Negeri, the state Islamic religious departments and councils), a PBT (local authority) licence or a KKM (Ministry of Health) listing. The scope and eligibility for certification are assessed on the actual operation, premises, documents and current rulings. A KKM Home-Based Food listing is not an SPHM (Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia, the Malaysia Halal Certificate) and does not permit use of the Malaysian halal logo.

When you make products for outside customers, every food maker needs to be able to answer: which product was made on which day, using which ingredient lots, and sold to whom? This matters for food safety, customer complaints and preparing for a halal audit.

Four recommended minimum records

  1. Product/SKU register: product name, pack size, code, active status, recipe version.
  2. Controlled recipe: ingredients, manufacturer and key measurements; a version number so changes can be traced.
  3. Batch record: date/time, quantity, handler, ingredients, lot, process, totals and action taken if it fails.
  4. Delivery/sales record: the batch sent to customers, shops or sales channels.

Example internal batch code: SMB-20261105-01 for the first sambal batch on 5 November 2026. This code is only an example of an internal system, not a format required by JAKIM.

Label management

Labels on food that is sold must comply with the relevant KKM labelling regulations. Information such as the name of the food, details of the relevant parties, ingredients, net quantity, dates, warnings/allergens, storage instructions and extra information depends on the product category and the specific regulations. Do not copy another product's label blindly.

Use the latest [Garis Panduan Keselamatan Makanan Home-Based KKM (KKM Home-Based Food Safety Guidelines)] and [Peraturan-Peraturan Makanan 1985 (Food Regulations 1985)] to check claims, labels and required information.

Note on logos

The official KKM Home-Based Food logo, if allowed through the relevant listing, is different from the Malaysian Halal Logo. Do not modify the halal logo, imitate its shape or give the impression that a product has received an SPHM without approval.

How does tracing back work?

Chain of records from invoice to deliveryThe supplier invoice leads to the ingredient lot, the recipe version, the production batch, the label with date and batch code, then the order and delivery record. If needed, a complaint or recall goes back to the production batch to be traced.

Supplier invoice

Ingredient lot

Recipe version

Production batch

Label / date / batch code

Order and delivery record

Complaint or recall if needed
Chain of records from invoice to delivery

Practical actions

Frozen kuih (traditional cakes) example: a buyer reports a pack with an unusual smell. With the batch code, the operator can identify other production on the same day, compare storage temperatures, decide to hold stock and contact the customers involved.

  • Use one consistent SKU code for each product/size.
  • Record every change of ingredient or recipe.
  • Note the batch and the quantity made/sold.
  • Set a procedure for complaints and for disposal/recall if needed.
  • Ask for a suitable label check, including KKM labelling advisory services if needed.

Official sources and references