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Tuesday, June 02, 2009
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Pork Found in Beef Products, Reports BPOM

INDONESIA - The food and drug supervising agency (BPOM) has found traces of pork in sampled meat products from traditional markets and supermarkets in Bandung and Jakarta.

Husniah Rubiana Thamrin, the agency's head, said Monday in Jakarta that the four dendeng (thinly sliced, dried and spiced meat) products were made by home producers registered in Malang, East Java, and Bandung in West Java and were labelled with registration numbers from the health ministry.

All the products were also labelled with a halal verification mark (validation from the Indonesian Ulemas Council or MUI that the products do not contain pork) but none were in possession of an official halal certificate, she said.

The BPOM claimed the four products were from the Dua Daun Cabe, Brenggolo, and Dua Dinar brands. Dua Daun Cabe and Brenggolo are apparently registered to companies in Malang while Dua Dinar is linked with manufacturers in Bandung.

"Although the Brenggolo dendeng brand is apparently registered in Malang, it is made by a home industry in Solo, Central Java, on the order of a Jakarta businessman," Husniah said.

Hayati Amal, director of food assessment for the BPOM, said the agency regularly conducted a sample of meat products in marketplaces without consulting the manufacturers first.

Meanwhile, BPOM also announced that a range of melamine cutlery and plate products had tested positive for containing formaldehyde, according to national news agency The Jakarta Post.

"The items are dangerous to health as they release formaldehyde when exposed to liquids - hot or cold - or any acidic foods," said Husniah.

She said exposure to formaldehyde could cause cancer, damage the urinal tract and kidneys or even cause death.

She said BPOM recommended the withdrawal of all products that tested positive to releasing formaldehyde and banned similar imports from China.

Out of the 62 items sampled, only items manufactured under the ADS brand name are made in Indonesia.

The BPOM has recommended the Trade Ministry cease importing these Chinese products and has called on the Industry Ministry to ban the local brand.

In April, the Muslim Ulama Council (MUI) released a public statement warning of several meat products labelled as beef when they contained traces of pork.

ThePigSite News Desk



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