Formaldehyde-free products in Lampung<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Lampung\/Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Following the widespread use of dangerous chemicals in food
\nproducts, the Metro and Bandarlampung city administrations in
\nLampung province are planning to give certification to products
\nby labeling them formaldehyde-free and to issue a bylaw to
\nregulate the sale of formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
Metro Mayor Lukman Hakim said on Wednesday that his office was
\ncurrently registering producers who supplied food products to the
\nmarkets.<\/p>\n
\"The label will prevent the sale of products that contain
\ndangerous chemicals like formaldehyde,\" Lukman said without
\nsaying when the labelling system would come into effect.<\/p>\n
The Food and Drug Monitoring Office in the province found that
\nalmost all traditional markets in Lampung, seven in Bandarlampung
\ncity alone, sell formaldehyde-contaminated food products --
\nranging from fresh and salted fish to tofu and noodles.<\/p>\n
Formaldehyde -- widely used in the production of fertilizer,
\npaper, plywood as well as for industrial fungicide, germicide and
\ndisinfectant, and as a preservative in mortuaries and medical
\nlaboratories -- is being widely used as a preservative in certain
\nfoods, mainly because it is cheap and it makes food last longer.<\/p>\n
Lukman said the labeling was necessary to cut the widespread
\nuse of formaldehyde in food as well as to ensure the food was
\nsafe to consume.<\/p>\n
\"Without controlling the use of formaldehyde, people will be
\nreluctant to eat fish, and this will disadvantage not only fish
\ntraders but also many fishermen who will lose their livelihood,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the labeling a bylaw would be issued to regulate
\nformaldehyde trading, because, as there are no restrictions on
\nits sale anyone could buy it, said Lukman.<\/p>\n
\"So there will be a clear mechanism under a related office to
\ncontrol the sale of formaldehyde. For instance, certain places
\nwill be appointed that are permitted to sell formaldehyde and
\nbuyers will be required to provide information as to the purpose
\nof buying the substance,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The Metro City Council is currently deliberating a draft bylaw
\non healthy food and beverage labeling, which will require food
\nproducers to have a formaldehyde-free label.<\/p>\n
Chairman of the council's special committee on the draft
\nbylaw, Supriyadi, said the bylaw would be intended to protect
\nconsumers from irresponsible producers. \"But of course the bylaw
\nwill be ineffective without strict action from the related
\noffices in charge to monitor and prevent the use of poisonous
\nsubstances in food and beverages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Consumers in Yogyakarta, also need to be on the alert as the
\nFood and Drug Monitoring Office in the province found that 95
\npercent of noodles sold in the markets use formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
The office head, Rini Astuti, said the finding came following
\na survey in which 40 samples of noodles sold in traditional
\nmarkets were examined. The survey, she said, found that 95
\npercent of fresh noodles that came from six producers used
\nformaldehyde at the level of 101.23-24 parts per million (ppm).<\/p>\n
The survey, she said, also found formaldehyde at the level of
\n337.23 ppm to 462.36 ppm in the samples of salted fish collected
\nfrom 21 traders. But none of tofu collected from 14 producers
\nused the substance.<\/p>\n
However, she declined to name the noodle producers, only
\nsaying that her office would take legal action against them.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/formaldehyde-free-products-in-lampung-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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