His policy is intended to guarantee that food trays comply with at least the SNI 3.04 standard, safeguarding food safety and curbing the circulation of non-standard products in Indonesia.
"If it does not meet the 3.04 standard, the product cannot be distributed in the country," he conveyed on Friday.
He informed that mandatory SNI for food trays is currently being drafted as an effort to support President Prabowo Subianto's MBG Program, which aims to provide nutritious food for children through hygienic food serving systems.
"For food trays, what we can do is maintain the quality of the food trays. Currently, the SNI is voluntary. We are currently drafting a mandatory SNI for food trays," he addressed.
According to him, the implementation of the mandatory SNI is a preventative measure to ensure consistent food tray quality.
He ensured that the mandatory SNI regulations currently being drafted would be enacted as soon as possible, with implementation targeted to begin this year to support sustainable national food security.
Previously, the Ministry of Trade proposed that all food tray products, both domestic and international, be certified by the Indonesian National Standard.
This was conveyed by Trade Minister Budi Santoso in response to allegations that food trays for the MBG program contained pork fat.
"We have proposed, and we have held meetings with other ministries and institutions, that food trays must be certified by SNI," Santoso remarked on August 28.
Earlier, an investigative report by the Indonesia Business Post (IBP) in the Chaoshan industrial area in Guangdong, China, a global tray production hub, revealed indications of the use of non-food-grade materials.
Furthermore, there are allegations of the use of lard-based industrial lubricants in the tray production process.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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