Totally, we take 20 samples. We do the test to ensure whether the foods are contained by hazardous substances or not

The Jakarta Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and South Jakarta Health Sub-Department did a sudden inspection at Tebet Barat Market, Tebet, South Jakarta, Monday (7/7), around 3 PM. They found some processed foods contained with hazardous substances such as formalin, borax, and other harmful substances. 

"During Ramadan, we focus on monitoring foods served in the market, especially Takjil (light meals to break the fast)," said Head of Jakarta BPOM, Dewi Prawitasari, Monday (7/7).

We took some food samples from soto padang (a clear soup consisting of meat), asinan (vegetable and fruit salad with crackers), putu mayang (flour cake), pepes tahu (steamed tofu), pepes teri (steamed anchovy stuffed in banana leaves), and crackers, to be tested in the laboratory. "Totally, we take 20 samples. We do the test to ensure whether the foods are contained by hazardous substances or not," she told. 

Of the 20 samples, 50 percent out of them are containing hazardous substances. One of them is asinan where more than 1 type hazardous substances detected. "Its noodles contains methanil yellow and we also found formalin and borax in tofu. Another formalin also found in steamed tofu," she explained.

Prawitasari added that such substance is very dangerous to be consumed because it can cause liver cancer and bladder cancer. "That's why we need early detection. And the result will be sent to the Health Sub-Department and PD Pasar Jaya to cast warning and guidance to traders in the market," she uttered.