We want to prove that the food served in West Manggarai, especially at various restaurants which are usually crowded with visitors, is free of formalin.
Labuan Bajo, NTT (ANTARA) - The government of West Manggarai district, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) province, inspected several restaurants in Labuan Bajo to ensure food safety ahead of the 42nd ASEAN Summit on May 9–11, 2023.

“…we want Labuan Bajo to be a safe and comfortable place, especially for ASEAN Summit delegates, thus the food served here must be safe according to health standards," deputy head of West Manggarai district Yulianus Weng said here on Wednesday.

The inspections would be carried out at all restaurants in the district since it has been estimated that the summit would be attended by thousands of national and foreign delegates, he added.

He, as well as a number of officers from the local Food and Drug Supervisory Office (Loka POM) and related technical agencies, carried out the inspection on Wednesday from 11 a.m. Central Indonesian Standard Time (WITA).

During the inspection, Loka POM officers tested several food samples.

Through the inspections, the local government is seeking to ensure that no restaurants in Labuan Bajo serve food containing dangerous ingredients, such as formalin, the district deputy head emphasized.

"We want to prove that the food served in West Manggarai, especially at various restaurants which are usually crowded with visitors, is free of formalin," he said.

According to the results of the food tests conducted on Wednesday at four well-known restaurants in Labuan Bajo, namely Prima Rasa, Mai Cenggo, La Moringa, and Kelan, the food served by the restaurants was found safe and free from harmful substances, he informed.

Similar inspections are planned on Thursday (April 27) at several other restaurants in Labuan Bajo.

Weng said he expects that the inspections held in other restaurants will not find any food containing harmful chemicals.

If any restaurant is found using harmful ingredients in their food, the local government will take firm action by issuing a reprimand and revoking the business permit of the restaurant, he stressed.

"We expect that the situation during the ASEAN Summit can be well maintained," he said.

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Translator: Fransiska Nuka, Uyu Liman
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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