BPOM: Indomie safe for consumption..............

BPOM,Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency, ensure that Indomie is safe for consumption.BPOM also ready to be responsible if when Indomie endanger health.


Kustantinah, BPOM Chief, stated, "We assess safe. BPOM will be responsible if anything happened, but the scope in Indonesia. If we do something wrong, of course, we will be held accountable."

Kustantinah said the ban Indomie in Taiwan is only because of different standards in each country. Indonesia and Taiwan have different standards."Taiwan is also uses preservatives. They use other preservatives. All the ingredients that have positive and negative. The materials they use are also using the same derivatives," said Kustantinah.

In a press release Number: HM.04.01.1.23.10.10.9695 dated October 11, 2010, BPOM stated :

In connection with the information in print and electronic media about the withdrawal of Indonesian instant noodle products,BPOM Rl consider it necessary to submit information to the public as follows:

1. In Indonesia, the establishment of a regulatory and safety requirements, and nutritional quality of processed food products refers to the international requirements of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and based on risk assessment.
2. In Indonesia the use of Supplementary Food Ingredients Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 722/Menkes/Per/IX/88, about Ingredients Food Supplement. One of the food additives are regulated is nipagin (methyl p-hydroxybenzoate) that serves as a preservative with a maximum usage.
3. In soy products, maximum allowable usage is 250 mg / kg. In other foods except meat, fish and poultry, the limit of use is 1000 mg / kg.
4. BPOM in protecting public health, periodic sampling and testing food products on the market including the instant noodle. The test results within 5 (five) years, to soy sauce is in instant noodles, did not find any nipagin content that exceeds the maximum permitted limit.
5. From the review requirements in some countries such as Canada, the United States, the limit of use in food nipagin allowed is 1000 mg / kg. While in Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, the limit of the use of soy 250 mg / kg and in Hong Kong amounted to 550 mg / kg.
6. Thus, the registered brand of instant noodles in Indonesia declared safe for consumption.
7. Encouraged the public who require further information, please contact the Consumer Complaints Service Unit, ULPK BPOM, with telephone number 021-4263333 and 021-32199000 or email ulpk@pom.go.id and ulpkbadanpom@yahoo.com or BPOM Consumer Information Service at throughout Indonesia.

On October 18, 2010, BPOM re-issued a press release with a number HM.04.01.1.23.10.10.9905:

Connecting BPOM RI Press Release related to the production of instant noodle products of Indonesia on October 11, 2010,BPOM RI who has supervisory authority in the processed food security in parts of Indonesia, hereby deems it necessary to provide more information to the community and reaffirms the following matters:

1. Based on the standard Codex Allimentarius Committee (CAC) and scientific studies on health risks, and in accordance with the Regulation of the Minister of Health No. 722/1988 on Food Supplement Ingredients, that methyl p-hydroxybenzoate may be used as a preservative for the product sauce / soy sauce in Indonesia, with a maximum usage limit of 250 mg / kg of product. CAC set a limit on the maximum use of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate amounted to 1000 mg / kg of product.
2. Based on the Database of the Select Committee on Generally Recognize As Safe (GRAS) Substances Reviews, note that there is no evidence of danger the use of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate as a preservative in processed food is used as standard throughout and did not exceed the maximum limit allowed.
3. BPOM RI in accordance with the duties and responsibilities have been and continue to take post-market surveillance, such as focusing on processed food samples randomly and testing labs, including instant noodles, which circulate in the market.
4. During the first semester of 2010, has been making and testing a number of 323 items listed instant noodle samples from circulation. The test results showed that the soy sauce samples that are in one package with instant noodles, containing methyl p-hydroxybenzoate NOT EXCEED 250 mg / kg, the maximum permitted limit.
5. In connection with the emergence of issues related to instant noodles last few days, then the BPOM has conducted surveillance sampling and testing of various brands of instant noodles from the market in 21 provinces. The test results on the content of methyl p-hydroxybenzoate in 158 samples of soy sauce in the noodles, was 96 samples containing methyl p-hydroxybenzoate NOT EXCEED 250 mg / kg, the maximum allowable limit, while 62 NOT AT ALL samples containing methyl p-hydroxybenzoate.
6. Based on laboratory test results, concluded that instant noodle products listed and circulated in Indonesia MEET STANDARDS and conditions that apply, and declared SAFE for consumption.
7. Encouraged the public who require further information, please contact the Consumer Complaints Service Unit, ULPK BPOM, with telephone number 021-4263333 and 021-32199000 or email ulpk@pom.go.id and ulpkbadanpom@yahoo.com or BPOM Consumer Information Service at throughout Indonesia.