BPOM and USFDA Sign Commitment to Ensure Quality and Continuity of Spice Exports to the US
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) have officially signed a Confidentiality Commitment (CC) as a strategic step to maintain the continuity of Indonesian spice exports to the United States.
BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar in Jakarta on Wednesday stated that the recorded value of US imports of spices from Indonesia reached $45.9 million, or approximately Rp800 billion, in 2024. This high export value from Indonesia underscores the importance of maintaining trust and smooth market access through a credible supervisory system.
Through the signing of the CC on 15 April 2026, BPOM and USFDA are strengthening cooperation in the exchange of non-public information. This also supports BPOM’s role as a Certifying Entity (CE) in issuing Shipment-Specific Certificates (SSC) for spice commodities. This cooperation serves as a strategic step in strengthening Indonesia’s position as a trusted partner in the global supply chain.
“The designation of BPOM as CE reflects the increasing trust of the USFDA in Indonesia’s supervisory system. Moreover, BPOM and USFDA both currently hold WHO-Listed Authority (WLA) status. We adhere to the same global standards,” said Taruna Ikrar.
Since the implementation of the SSC scheme in October 2025 until the end of April 2026, BPOM has processed more than 2,000 applications and issued 304 certificates for 20 companies, with an economic value of around $2.8–3 billion or approximately Rp45 trillion.
For business actors, particularly spice exporters, processed food, and health supplement producers, this cooperation provides strategic benefits in the form of regulatory certainty, ease of access to the US market, and broader and more sustainable export opportunities. Additionally, the strengthening of the certification and supervisory system also increases confidence in Indonesian products in the global market.
Meanwhile, for the public, he continued, this commitment provides tangible benefits in the form of improved product safety guarantees, consumer protection, and sustainable exports that impact economic growth and job creation.
The need for strengthened supervision arose after the discovery of radioactive contamination Cesium-137 in Indonesian clove products in August 2025. That finding prompted the USFDA to impose Import Alert 99-51 and Import Alert 99-52, as well as the Detention Without Physical Examination (DWPE) mechanism. This situation demands stricter product safety guarantees before entering the US market.
US FDA Associate Commissioner for the Office of Global Policy and Strategy, Mark Abdoo, hopes that the exchange of information between BPOM and USFDA will be further strengthened following the agreement of this CC.
In agreement, US FDA representative Maria Knirk appreciated BPOM’s role in supporting smooth trade while maintaining product safety.
“Indonesia is an important trading partner, and the role as a certifying entity is key in supporting trade and ensuring product safety,” she said.