Amran Threatens Crackdown on Rogue Fortified Rice Producers

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) and Minister of Agriculture, Amran Sulaiman, has confirmed the government will tighten supervision of fortified rice suspected of being substandard over the next two to three weeks. This measure is being taken to protect the public from products that do not meet standards, especially since most fortified rice is sold at a higher price than premium rice. Amran stressed that the misuse of fortified rice will not be tolerated, as the product is intended to improve public nutrition, not become a source of profit. “I will crack down on this in two to three weeks. This is something we must fight together. Fortification is made for the poor, to help prevent stunting and address malnutrition through the addition of vitamins and minerals,” Amran stated on Thursday (6/8/2026). He also ensured that all findings from the supervision will be processed according to the law. “We want to ensure the entire process runs thoroughly, and anyone proven to have misused the fortification programme will be processed legally,” he said. Amran had previously stressed that there would be no tolerance for violations found during the supervision of fortified rice. “We have checked, and we will process this. In the next one to two weeks, we will take firm action. There will be no compromise; that is the President’s order. This cannot be allowed in the Republic of Indonesia, playing with the fate of the people,” he stated. Deputy for Consumption Diversification and Food Safety at Bapanas, Andriko Noto Sutanto, said supervision is now being expanded, not only through laboratory tests but also by checking the conformity of distribution permits with the information on the packaging label. “Currently, we are not only checking lab test results but also the conformity between the registered distribution permit and the label. From that alone, we have found many discrepancies. We will reveal all of them later. We will check everything,” Andriko said. According to him, producers are required to list nutritional content on the label in accordance with the distribution permit documents. Differences between the two constitute an administrative violation that can be acted upon. “For example, in the distribution permit, they claim an iron (Fe) content of 84%, but on the label they only write 30%. That is already a violation because what is registered differs from what is written on the label. The object of supervision will be sharpened,” he explained. Bapanas has recorded supervision of 178 samples of fortified rice across 11 provinces, representing 8 companies with 22 brands. Administrative checks found several discrepancies, including the use of invalid distribution permits, differences in nutritional content claims between permit documents and packaging labels, and indications of overclaiming product benefits. All findings are currently being verified through laboratory testing. Andriko emphasised that supervision is carried out to prevent consumers from being disadvantaged by purchasing products sold at higher prices but not matching the claims on the packaging. “Do not let consumers buy a product at a higher price because they believe certain claims, but the information provided does not match the actual conditions. This supervision is conducted to protect the public while creating a healthy and fair business climate for business actors who have complied with the regulations,” he said. Previously, Bapanas supervision in April 2026 in the Jakarta area also found discrepancies in several fortified rice products and rice with nutritional claims. Of 15 samples from 9 producers with 15 brands, laboratory results showed that only 3 out of 12 samples with nutritional claims met the requirements, while 9 other samples did not. Additionally, 3 samples did not include the Nutritional Adequacy Rate (AKG) percentage information on the packaging label. Bapanas is currently expanding its supervision from late July to August, targeting 40 brands of fortified rice with Fresh Food of Plant Origin (PSAT) distribution permits across 11 provinces, with around 200 samples to be tested in accredited laboratories. The government asserts that all fortified rice products must meet safety, quality, nutritional content, and labelling standards in accordance with applicable regulations.