Jakarta (Greeners) – Indonesia’s Food and Drugs Agency or BPOM and DKI Jakarta police took action on food distributors in South Jakarta on May 16-17 with 190,000 coffee sachets of Pak Belalang allegedly changed its expiry dates, with economic value reaches to Rp1.4 billion (US$97,438).

The investigation shows that the perpetrators conducted three violations, first, the coffee was illegal imported. Second, the packaging put “King of Nusantara Coffee” while it’s foreign product. And, third the labels are not in line with the ones approved by the agency, including change expiry dates.

READ ALSO: Food and Drugs Agency Confiscate 170,119 Food Products During Ramadhan Month 

Penny K. Lukito, head of the agency said that the agency had revoked the permit of ‘Pak Belalang’ coffee for administrative and criminal violations under the 2012 Law on Food.

In addition, the agency will expand the investigation to check on related parties contributing to the violations.

“The agency will not be hesitant to take actions against violators of food and drugs crimes. Hence, all business must comply with regulations. Public is expected to be careful in choosing food to consume,” she said in Jakarta on Monday (20/05/2019).

READ ALSO: Indonesia’s Drugs and Food Law Will Be Set in 2019 

Furthermore, she said that replacing expiry dates is an old method, however they could only found it on supermarkets or retailers. Nevertheless, the agency managed to found evidences of tools used, witnesses, and suspects.

“From the investigation results, new mode of operation can be investigated and become information in the future to map out crimes of food and drugs,” she said adding that the coffee is sold under multilevel marketing and there’s possible for online distribution.

Hence, she encourages for people to buy from legal distributors and don’t buy from unclear or doubtful source of production.

Reports by Dewi Purningsih

Jakarta (Greeners) – During Ramadhan Month and ahead of Idul Fitri, Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency or BPOM, reminds public on illegal food products as the agency had confiscated at least 170,000 products from 796 distribution facilities, which amounts to Rp3.4 billion or US$236,126.

Penny K. Lukito, head of the agency, said compare to food intensification data in 2018, there’s an increase on volume and economic value in 2019.

During the period, Lukito said, inspections conducted on 1,726 retailers and food distributors, of which they found 110,555 food products from 591 distributors did not meet standards, with economic value reached more than Rp2.2 billion or US$152,575.

“The increase on volume and economic value is due to increased scope of monitoring on food intensification to districts and cities. For Ramadhan and Idul Fitri, the needs and demands for food products, especially processed food products, will be intensified for its monitoring until after Idul Fitri,” she said.

READ ALSO: Surabaya Drugs and Food Agency Destroys Billions of Rupiah Illegal Products 

Furthermore, she adds that monitoring will be targeted on processed food without permits, illegal, expired or damaged, and street food for fast breaking or takjil for potentially contain dangerous substances, such as formalin, borax, and banned rhodamin B and methanyl yellow for food coloring.

The agency conducted food monitoring during Ramadhan month and before Idul Fitri in three phases, — April 22 – 28, April 29 – May 4, May 5 – 11 –, in 2019.

Based on press release, the third phase monitored 1,834 retailers and food distributors comprises of 1,553 retailers and 281 food distributors or importers. Based on the inspection, there were 170,119 damaged food product packaging, expired, and illegal, confiscated from 796 distributors, with economic value reached Rp3.4 billion (US$236,126).

READ ALSO: Indonesia’s Drugs and Food Law Will Be Set in 2019 

Expired products found mostly in Kendari, Jayapura, Mimika, Palopo, and Bima, in the forms of milk products, syrups, flours, snacks and biscuits.

For damaged food found in Palopo, Banda Aceh, Bima, Kendari and Gorontalo, mostly milk products, cereals, tea, canned fish, and flavored drinks.

For illegal food products mostly found in Kendari, Tangerang, Makassar, Baubau and Banjarmasin, on salt, snacks, chocolate, bottled drinks, and flavored drinks.

For takjil, 83 out of 2,804 samples or 2.96 percent, checked by the agency are not qualified. They are divided into four groups, — jelly, colored drinks, noodles, and snacks –.

Dangerous substances found in food products mostly are formalin (39.29 percent), borax (32.14 percent) and rhodamin B (28.57 percent).

“Compare with food intensification in 2018, this year saw a decline of takjil which does not meet the standards. On the Phase III in 2018, samples not meet the standards is 5.34 percent, which means awareness and understanding of takjil sellers, mostly household wives, for food security is increasing,” she said.

Reports by Dewi Purningsih

Surabaya (Greeners) – Indonesia is currently preparing for Drugs and Food Monitoring bill which expected to be finalized in 2019, a senior official said in Surabaya, on Tuesday (18/12/2018).

“It is in the house of representatives and the discussion with the government by early next year. So, hopefully, next year it can be finalized so that people can consume foods and drugs which comply with the aspects of safety, quality and beneficial, so that our nation can compete in drugs and foods beverages,” said Penny K. Lukito, head of Indonesia’s Drugs and Foods agency or locally known as BPOM.

Lukito said that the country needs the bill because tradition medicines, foods and cosmetics are vulnerable for human bodies, hence, they should be regulated under the law.

“The clauses in the law will ensure that medicine and food products from producers will meet safety and quality requirements with BPOM is watching the pre-marketing,” she said. “In addition, monitoring and law enforcement would be strengthened and resulted in deterrent effects.”

The law is expected to become strong legal basis on packaging food monitoring, which already being regulated in the 2012 Law on Food and its derivatives to ensure safety, quality and its nutrition as parts of The 2025 Indonesia Healthy campaign.

The bill is an initiative of the house of representatives and has been included in the 2015-19 National Legislation Program, and a priority in 2018. The urgency of the bill comprises of competitiveness of drugs and food industry, technical guidance for drugs and foods entrepreneurs to meet the requirements, and law enforcement.

Reports by Dewi Purningsih