Jakarta & BPOM Scale Up Food Safety Checks to Protect Consumers

In the lead-up to Idulfitri 1447 Hijri festivities, the Jakarta government, in collaboration with the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM), conducted a joint food safety inspection at the Lotte Mart shopping center on Jalan Supriyadi in East Jakarta.

The food is safe and healthy for consumption

This operation mobilized approximately 100 joint personnel from BPOM and Jakarta government. It was led directly by BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar and Jakarta City Secretary Uus Kuswanto.

Kuswanto lauded the robust collaboration between BPOM and the city administration, emphasizing the critical nature of food safety oversight as Idulfitri festivities approach.

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This is vital to bolstering consumer confidence and ensuring the safety of food products, whether they are purchased from modern retailers or traditional markets.

"The demand for basic staples hits its peak as Idulfitri holiday nears, making integrated oversight like this absolutely critical," he expressed, Monday (3/9).

Out of 79 food samples tested, every single one received a clean bill of health, with lab results showing no traces of hazardous substances.

"This outcome aligns perfectly with the expectations of both the public and the government. It provides the necessary assurance that the food is safe and healthy for consumption," he explained.

BPOM Head, Taruna Ikrar explained, today’s operation is a key component of a broader food safety intensification program that spans from the lead-up to Ramadan until Idulfitri holiday.

He underscored that the increased oversight is essential during this period, as the city typically sees a significant surge in both the sales and consumption of food products.

"The volume of food sales and consumption is currently at its peak. In response, we're conducting coordinated, nationwide oversight on a daily basis across Indonesia," he continued.

He further detailed that the agency employs two distinct monitoring strategies: surveillance—which includes random and covert monitoring—and official, unannounced inspections, such as the surprise visit conducted at Lotte Mart.

Broadly speaking, the operation confirmed that products in circulation are in full compliance with regulations concerning sanitation, hygiene, labeling standards, packaging, distribution licensing, and expiration dates.

"But, personnel flagged several discrepancies that warrant follow-up. For instance, some products were found to be stored improperly, deviating from the manufacturer’s recommended storage guidelines," he noted.

Jakarta Maritime, Agriculture and Food Security Sub-agency (KPKP) Head, Hasudungan Sidabalok added, fresh food safety oversight has been ramped up across more than 200 locations, including traditional markets and supermarkets throughout Jakarta."

"30,000 food samples were screened based on testing parameters, such as formalin, spoilage levels, pesticide residues, chlorine, and borax. The results show that nearly 99 percent of the samples were declared safe for consumption," he added.