Speaking in Jakarta on Thursday, the minister said clove products from PT NJS—flagged by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for suspected contamination with Cesium-137 (Cs-137)—are currently being processed for re-importation to Indonesia.
“The re-imported goods have not yet arrived. We’re inspecting the company. In Cikande, radiation levels reached 1,000 microsieverts per hour, while the average here is just 0.07 or 0.04 microsieverts. These figures reflect natural background exposure,” he explained.
The initial findings were based on a visit by a joint team comprising personnel from the Environment Ministry, the Nuclear Energy Regulatory Agency (Bapeten), the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), and the Indonesian National Police’s Bomb Squad (Gegana).
Although the team’s measurements indicated normal radiation levels, Nurofiq said a full on-site inspection would still be conducted to verify the situation.
The FDA had earlier reported suspected Cesium-137 contamination in clove exports from PT NJS and subsequently blocked all shipments of the spice from the company to the United States.
The agency also reported Cesium-137 contamination in frozen shrimp exported by PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS).
In response, the Task Force for Handling Cesium-137 Radiation Hazards sealed off the suspected source of contamination at a facility in the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate, Serang District, Banten.
Government agencies are now carrying out decontamination efforts at multiple sites, preparing temporary storage for Cesium-137 waste, and addressing public health concerns.
On September 30, the Coordinating Minister for Food confirmed that the contamination in shrimp products was confined to the Cikande Modern Industrial Estate and did not affect the national supply chain or export activities.
Related news: Government decontaminating 10 Cesium-137 radiation points in Cikande
Related news: Indonesia helping draft UN document on radiation impact
Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
Copyright © ANTARA 2025
