“We dispatched a team today and plan to visit the company on Saturday to take further action,” he said on Wednesday.
The minister stated that he would personally inspect the clove-exporting company, accompanied by the Minister of Industry and officials from relevant ministries and agencies.
He confirmed that the government has taken decisive measures, including the formation of a Task Force for Handling Cesium-137 Radiation Hazards, following the earlier discovery of radioactive contamination in frozen shrimp exported to the United States.
As head of the task force, Nurofiq assured that all necessary steps would be taken to address the issue.
“We are deeply concerned. This is not only a matter of domestic safety but also affects international trade. We are monitoring the situation closely, without causing public alarm,” he said.
The FDA previously reported suspected Cesium-137 contamination in clove products exported by PT NJS, prompting a ban on all imports of the spice from the company.
The case surfaced after the FDA returned a shipment of frozen shrimp last August due to similar findings.
In response, the task force sealed off the factory suspected to be the source of contamination, located in the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate, Serang District, Banten.
The government has since carried out decontamination at several sites, prepared temporary storage facilities for Cesium-137 waste, and provided healthcare services to affected residents.
Coordinating Minister for Food Zulkifli stated on Tuesday that the Cesium-137 contamination in shrimp products was confined to the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate and had not affected the broader national supply chain or export activities.
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Translator: Prisca Triferna Violleta, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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