Check food baskets, consumer warned<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): If you receive food and drink products in finely
\ndecorated baskets this coming Idul Fitri, be sure to check the
\nexpiration dates on the cover of every item, the Indonesian
\nConsumers Organization (YLKI) warns.<\/p>\n
Whether imported or locally produced, there is a distinct
\npossibility that items are unfit for consumption, either because
\nthey have passed the expiration dates, or even worse, they do not
\neven have expiration dates in the first place.<\/p>\n
Should anything happen to a person after consuming unfit
\nproducts, he or she would not have any legal recourse, YLKI
\nresearcher Retno Widiastuti said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Retno said her organization conducted a study on the contents
\nof food and beverages included in Idul Fitri food parcels in 1995
\nand found that there was great ignorance about acceptable
\nstandards among distributors as well as consumers.<\/p>\n
Among defective items found in the 1995 report were dairy
\nproducts, jams, chocolates, candies, cookies, dried vegetables,
\ncanned cereals, canned fruits, vegetables, meat and fish, tea and
\nsoft drinks.<\/p>\n
The tradition of sending food baskets during Idul Fitri or
\nChristmas, usually between business relations, in Indonesia has
\nbeen used by food distributors to unload products they could not
\nsell in supermarkets.<\/p>\n
This is because in all likelihood, the person who places the
\norder would not take the trouble to check the content of the
\nbaskets. Meanwhile, recipients consider it impolite to complain
\nto the sender if they find bad items among the products in the
\nbasket.<\/p>\n
Retno said many food and beverages included in 1995 food
\nbaskets had been smuggled into the country and therefore were
\nnever subjected to the government's health scrutiny.<\/p>\n
All imported food and beverages must carry the label Makanan
\nLuar Negeri (imported food) and a registration code number from
\nthe Ministry of Health and a customs sticker from the Ministry of
\nFinance. By regulation, imported food and beverages must pass the
\nquality standard test from the Ministry of Health and a
\ncertificate stating authorized distribution from the country of
\norigin.<\/p>\n
Retno said some of the products that were included in the gift
\nbaskets carried labels that were barely legible or even forged.<\/p>\n
Locally products do not necessarily fare better because many
\nof them do not even state expiration dates, she said.<\/p>\n
Retno said her organization encourages people to file
\ncomplaints if they find defective products in their baskets.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Health could not be reached yesterday for
\ncomment on the issue.<\/p>\n
Sudaryatmo, a member of YLKI's consumer complaints division,
\nsaid Indonesian laws currently do not afford legal protection for
\nconsumers against abuses by producers, importers or distributors.<\/p>\n
Given the weak legal protection, Sudaryatmo advised consumers
\nto be highly critical when looking at advertising and labeling.
\n(01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/check-food-baskets-consumer-warned-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}