Formaldehyde in food causes grave concern in Lampung<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso H.N., The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung<\/p>\n
A recent report by the Food and Drug Supervision Agency's office
\nin Bandarlampung, Lampung, confirmed people's long-held fears
\nthat the salt fish, fresh fish, tofu and noodles sold in
\ntraditional markets contained formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
Based on a recent study its conducted in the province's eight
\nregencies and two municipalities, the agency found that in
\nBandarlampung alone, formaldehyde-contaminated foodstuffs were
\nbeing sold by traders in all seven of the city's traditional
\nmarkets -- Smep, Tugu, Tamin, Kangkung, Bambukuning, Panjang and
\nPasang Wayhalim.<\/p>\n
The use of formaldehyde in food was also confirmed in
\ntraditional markets in Metro city as well as in South Lampung,
\nWest Lampung, East Lampung, Way Kanan, Tanggamus and Tulangbawang
\nregencies.<\/p>\n
Formaldehyde was also found in food in two of Bandarlampung's
\nsupermarkets and the Gudang Lelang fish market in Pasaran island.<\/p>\n
Based on its tests on 162 food samples, 64 were found to
\ncontain formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
Of the 93 samples of seafood -- fresh fish, shrimp, squid,
\nboiled mussels, salt fish and squid, and small shrimps -- 34 of
\nthem contained formaldehyde, of the 46 samples of tofu, 16
\ncontained formaldehyde, and of the 23 samples of fresh noodles,
\n14 contained formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
The agency's head, Sri Utami Ekaningtyas, said her office was
\nonly responsible for conducting the laboratory tests while the
\nnext steps -- the withdrawal of all the products and the taking
\nof legal action -- was the responsibility of the Fisheries Office
\nand the police.<\/p>\n
\"I hope the Fisheries Office will put a halt to this practice
\nby teaching fishermen and traders not to use formaldehyde to make
\ntheir fish and food products last longer as the use of
\nformaldehyde endangers people's health,\" Sri said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
She warned that formaldehyde was a very hazardous substance
\nand was carcinogenic in nature. Long-term consumption could cause
\ncancer and irritate the digestive system.<\/p>\n
\"The use of formaldehyde violates Law No. 7\/1996 and
\nGovernment Regulation No. 28\/2004 on food safety and quality.
\nFormaldehyde is being used by the textile, plastic,
\npaper, paint and construction industries, and to preserve dead
\nbodies,\" Sri said.<\/p>\n
She added that food contaminated by formaldehyde could only be
\nrendered safe by thorough washing and submersion in hot water of
\n80 degrees Celcius for 10 minutes.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Lampung councillor Ahmad Jajuli criticized the
\nagency for naming products containing formaldehyde despite the
\nlack of concrete action against the traders<\/p>\n
\"There should be serious and concrete action by the
\nadministration to protect the people. In reality, the agency has
\nrepeatedly tested food samples but no action has been taken in
\nrespect of its findings,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
He pointed out that the tests were not the first to reveal the
\nuse of formaldehyde in food products. \"The Fisheries Office
\nshould teach people about the consequences of consuming food that
\ncontains formaldehyde and provide them with knowledge about how a
\nproduct contains formaldehyde or not,\" Ahmad said.<\/p>\n
The agency's latest findings have worried traders in several
\ntraditional markets, as well as hundreds of salt-fish producers
\nin Bandarlampung.<\/p>\n
Marsiyah, a 38-year-old salt-fish trader in Smep market,
\nblamed a lack of business over the last two weeks on rumors about
\nthe use of formaldehyde.<\/p>\n
\"Now, my business could get even worse following the agency's
\nannouncement. But I'll stay in this business for a while longer
\nas I don't have enough money to switch to another trade,\" she
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Many salt-fish producers on Pasaran island, a few kilometers
\naway from Bandarlampung, have been forced to stop production due
\nto a lack of demand following the rumors of formaldehyde
\ncontamination, followed by confirmation of this by the Food and
\nDrug Supervision Agency.<\/p>\n
\"Demand is very low following the formaldehyde rumors although
\nI don't use it to preserve the fish,\" said Rusdi, 37, a salt-fish
\nproducer on Pasaran island.<\/p>\n
The director of Bandarlampung's Fisheries Office, Maryono, said
\nhis office would immediately conduct operations in the markets to
\nensure that all formaldehyde-contaminated food was removed.<\/p>\n
He also said his office would take strict action against
\ntraders who were found selling food containing formaldehyde.
\nHowever, he failed to provide details about what action would be
\ntaken.<\/p>",
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