Indonesia's Bpom Pulls 56,027 Food Products Over Public Health Risks

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Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has withdrawn 56,027 processed food products from markets across various regions to reinforce public health safeguards ahead of Eid al-Fitr, a period that typically sees increased consumption.

At a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday, BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar pointed out that the pulled products comprised 27,407 items without distribution permits, 23,776 expired products, and 4,844 spoiled goods.

He added that the BPOM found most of the products distributed without authorization in Palembang City, South Sumatra, totaling 10,848 items, or 39 percent of the entire haul.

Significant amounts of such goods were also identified across provinces: 2,653 in Batam, Riau Islands; 2,756 in Palopo, South Sulawesi; 1,654 in Sanggau, West Kalimantan; and 1,305 in Tarakan, North Kalimantan.

“This effort forms part of our intensified surveillance, aimed at anticipating a rise in processed food consumption during Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr,” Ikrar explained, noting that the BPOM applies both pre-market and post-market approaches to enforcement.

He added that the agency had mobilized 76 local technical units to conduct simultaneous oversight operations in all 38 provinces nationwide, with 1,134 distribution facilities inspected as of March 5.

The facilities consisted of modern retailers (50.2 percent), traditional retailers (32.5 percent), pemasok warehouses (16.6 percent), importer warehouses (0.6 percent), and e-commerce warehouses (0.1 percent).

According to Ikrar, 739 facilities were declared compliant with regulations, while 395 others were flagged as unauthorized.

He further noted that irresponsible parties had exploited rising demand by channeling products through illegal routes, leaving archipelagic nations like Indonesia especially vulnerable.

“Our country has numerous illegal routes facilitating unauthorized imports in border regions, which remain beyond the full oversight of authorities,” he said.

With that in mind, the BPOM chief reiterated that taking effective action on illicit products is essential to shield residents from health risks.

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