BPOM Alerts Public to Borax and Rhodamine B in Food on Sale

Jakarta — Indonesia’s Food and Drug Agency (BPOM) head, Taruna Ikrar, has warned the public to be vigilant against the use of dangerous chemicals in food products still potentially available on the market.

“Several substances that are the focus of our oversight include borax, formalin, and non-food dyes such as Rhodamine B,” Taruna said following direct food surveillance at Lotte Grosir Pasar Rebo in Ciracas, East Jakarta, on Monday.

Taruna stated that BPOM continues to monitor various food products, particularly during periods when public demand increases ahead of major religious holidays.

He explained that some chemical substances are frequently misused by unscrupulous business operators because they can improve the appearance or shelf life of food products.

“Formalin is actually used as a preservative for corpses, while borax is used for industrial purposes such as wood processing, and therefore should not be used in food,” Taruna clarified.

BPOM is also monitoring the use of non-food dyes such as Rhodamine B, which is often misused to make food appear more visually appealing.

Taruna explained that BPOM’s oversight extends beyond harmful preservatives and dyes to include the use of pharmaceutical chemicals in food products, such as antibiotics in fish and livestock products.

Inappropriate use of antibiotics in food, according to Taruna, can trigger antimicrobial resistance, which is currently a global health threat. In Indonesia alone, the level of antimicrobial resistance has reached approximately 43 per cent.

“This is a serious concern because antimicrobial resistance can make treatment increasingly difficult,” Taruna said.

BPOM is also monitoring various other food safety issues circulating among the public, including suspected practices of mixing unusual ingredients in food to enhance texture or product appeal.

Nationally, BPOM has conducted inspections of thousands of food product samples across various regions. From these test results, approximately 4.5 per cent of products were found not to meet food safety requirements.

Taruna emphasised that BPOM will continue to strengthen oversight whilst providing guidance to business operators to comply with established food safety standards.

The public is also urged to pay attention to product condition, read labels carefully, and ensure products have official distribution permits before consumption.

During direct surveillance at Lotte Grosir Pasar Rebo in Ciracas, East Jakarta, ahead of Eid al-Fitr, BPOM identified several food product violations.

“From today’s inspection of various products, generally they comply with regulations, but we did find several violations,” he said.

These findings included Ommason Mat brand Kimchi in 215-gram and 32-gram packaging whose distribution permit validity had expired.

The agency also found 18 packages of 100-gram spicy Kimchi that were not stored in accordance with the required storage temperature of minus four degrees Celsius.

“BPOM also found Pempek products that listed distribution permit numbers belonging to other products,” Taruna said.

“The others met sanitation, hygiene standards, label standards, packaging, distribution permits, and expiry dates,” Taruna added.