"Products from cattle in (zones with a high rate of foot-and-mouth disease spread) are safe to be consumed," deputy coordinator of the FMD task force, Brigadier General Ary Laksmana Widjaja, said here on Wednesday.
A red zone is an area where FMD infections among cattle, such as cows, goats, sheep, buffaloes, and pigs, have reached 70 percent, he added.
All processed products from red zones can be brought to other areas with a lower infection rate since the products gr through multiple processes to make them safe to consume, including ensuring they are free from the disease.
The Agriculture Ministry has imposed a strict quarantine policy in terms of cattle distribution, asking owners to obtain health permits for their cattle, he noted.
For imported meat products, a letter stating they are free of foot-and-mouth disease needs to be obtained from the directorate general of cattle and animal health at the Agriculture Ministry.
FMD, which is spreading currently, does not cause illness in humans, he said.
"Because the foot-and-mouth disease is not a zoonosis as this disease is not transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa," he explained.
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An official from the veterinary authority in Bandung, West Java, Elise Wieke, said that humans are not hosts for the FMD virus, which usually attacks even-toed animals.
He said he hopes that people will continue to consume livestock products, either in fresh or processed forms, as usual.
"For the community, keep eating animals that are susceptible to FMD. With no fear and doubt. The important thing is that the processing is correct, (and the meat is) cooked (thoroughly)," he added.
He said that there is no physical difference between fresh produce from animals exposed to FMD and those that have not been exposed to it. "Physically, there is no difference. Because it is the mouth and nails that are infected by the disease," he added.
Though fresh animal products derived from animals exposed to the disease are safe for consumption, they must be processed correctly, he reiterated. This is not because of the risk of the virus infecting humans, but to cut transmission through humans as intermediaries.
"Like, at least boil the meat for 30 minutes prior to being processed. Hopefully, the virus will die. Or, let it sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours, hopefully, the viruses will die," he advised.
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Translator: Andi Firdaus, Mecca Yumna
Editor: Suharto
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