Indonesia\u2019s government says reusable water jugs for packaged drinking\nwater remain safe when produced by licensed industry and are placed\nunder tight supervision through national standards, periodic audits, and\nsanitation processes before reuse. In the face of information that has\naroused public concern, the government assesses that product safety\nremains maintained when produced by legitimate industry and complies\nwith applicable standards.<\/p>\n
Merrijanti Punguan Pitaria, Director of Beverage Industry, Tobacco,\nand Flavoring Materials at the Ministry of Industry, said that packaged\ndrinking water (PDW), including reusable jugs, must meet the Indonesian\nNational Standard (SNI) and are regularly supervised by the\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\u2018PDW is a product designated by mandatory SNI, and its quality\nparameters are monitored and tested through periodic surveillance audits\nto ensure safety for consumption at the consumer level,\u2019 Merrijanti\nsaid.<\/p>\n
She noted that the oversight is conducted in line with food safety\nregulations and quality standards, including Minister of Industry\nRegulation No.\u00a062 of 2024.<\/p>\n
She explained that every reusable jug returning to the factory must\npass physical checks, washing, sanitisation, and quality control before\nbeing filled again and distributed to the public.<\/p>\n
\u2018Every jug reused must go through sanitisation and quality\nmonitoring. The industry also checks the physical condition and the age\nof the jug before reuse,\u2019 she added.<\/p>\n
Merrijanti emphasised that jugs that no longer meet standards will\nnot be used again. The PDW industry, she said, also has an culling\nmechanism to withdraw packaging no longer suitable for circulation.<\/p>\n
In addition to government oversight, several academic studies are\nsaid to indicate the safety of using reusable jugs from the formal\nindustry. Research from Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and\nUniversitas Sumatera Utara indicated that Bisphenol A (BPA) content in\nwater in reusable jugs is either undetectable or well below regulator\nsafe limits.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM) stated\nthat all food packaging circulating in Indonesia, including\nBPA-containing polycarbonate reusable jugs, remains safe to use as long\nas they comply with the BPA migration limit set. BPOM sets a maximum BPA\nmigration limit of 0.6 parts per million (ppm).<\/p>\n
BPOM also notes that BPA exposure does not originate from a single\ntype of packaging, because the compound can be found in a range of\neveryday products, including can linings for foods and beverages.\nTherefore, oversight is conducted based on safe migration limits of\nsubstances, not merely on packaging material type.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Industry also underlined the importance of monitoring\ndistribution outside official industry channels, especially the use of\nindustrial jugs by refill water depots that are beyond producer\ncontrol.<\/p>\n
According to Merrijanti, the use of branded PDW jugs by refill depots\nmakes field monitoring of jug condition more difficult for the\nindustry.<\/p>\n
\u2018That situation means the circulation of jugs among the public cannot\nbe controlled by the PDW industry in terms of both physical condition\nand quality.\u2019<\/p>\n
The government emphasises that oversight of PDW products is\ncomprehensive, covering packaging materials, production processes,\nsanitation, distribution, and periodic audits to ensure products remain\nsafe for consumption by the public.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/government-ensures-reusable-jugs-for-packaged-drinking-water-remain-safe-for-consumption-1779542652", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }