'Four jamu makers made toxic brew'<\/p>\n
Agus Maryono, The Jakarta Post, Purwokerto<\/p>\n
Police in the Central Java town of Cilacap said on Monday they
\nwere still investigating four major jamu (traditional herbal
\nmedicine) companies on charges of allegedly mixing their products
\nwith a potentially dangerous chemical substance.<\/p>\n
Three of companies are PT Jamu Serbuk Manjur, PT Jamu Purba
\nSalma and PT Jamu Sinar Laba-Laba are based in Kroya subdistrict.
\nThe fourth is PT Jamu Serbuk Super which is in Sampang town.<\/p>\n
The police also arrested the owner of PT Sinar Laba-Laba, 40-
\nyear old Johan Sarijo, confiscated dozens of truckloads of his
\ncompany's products and halted production.<\/p>\n
The legal action followed a report from the Food and Beverage
\nSupervisory Agency (POM) in Jakarta that jamu produced by the
\nfour companies was tainted with unregulated chemical substances.<\/p>\n
\"The POM office commenced an examination two weeks ago, and
\nthe results prompted us to act,\" the chief of the Cilacap Police
\nPrecinct, Adj. Sr. Comr. Bambang Sudarisman told The Jakarta Post
\nhere on Monday.<\/p>\n
He said the POM office had recommended that legal action be
\ntaken against the four accused firms.<\/p>\n
Bambang said that according to the findings by the agency, the
\nfour jamu factories have used dexamitason, a chemical substance
\nwhich is hazardous to humans.<\/p>\n
Chairul Mufied, head of the Banyumas district health office,
\nconfirmed on Monday that dexamitason could cause a kidney damage
\nif consumed in the long term.<\/p>\n
Bambang said further that nine employees and pharmacists from
\nthe companies were questioned as witnesses in the case, adding
\nthat their bosses would be summoned and they might be held as
\nsuspects if the evidence is sufficient to charge them.<\/p>\n
The firms are the largest among the total of 680 jamu
\nproducers, which were registered with the Aneka Sari Traditional
\nJamu Cooperatives in Cilacap. Each of the four employs
\napproximately 1,500 people and their products have mostly been
\nmarketed outside of Java.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, PT Jamu Serbuk Manjur Sumadiharjo on Monday
\ncriticized any health officials for failing to prevent jamu
\nproducers from mixing their products with the hazardous chemical
\nsubstance.<\/p>\n
\"They have regularly toured the factories. After that they did
\nnothing. With the absence of any warnings from the government, we
\nare led to believe that we have no problems with our products,\"
\nsaid Sumadiharjo, who is also an executive of the Cooperatives.<\/p>\n
He added that jamu companies had expected new innovations from
\nhealth office experts to be applied in their factories to improve
\nthe quality of their products.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/four-jamu-makers-made-toxic-brew-1447893297",
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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