Citizens' Forum: Implementation of Nutri-Level System Potentially Violates Consumer Rights
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s City Citizens’ Forum (FAKTA) has rejected the plan to implement the Nutri-Level labelling system, deeming it potentially harmful to consumers’ rights, particularly the right to clear, honest, and non-misleading information.
“We demand that the plan to implement Nutri-Level, which lacks a strong legal basis, be cancelled,” said FAKTA Indonesia Chairman Ari Subagio Wibowo in his statement in Jakarta on Thursday.
According to him, in the context of Indonesia’s still low nutritional literacy, the use of a ranking system like Nutri-Level (A, B, C, D) risks causing misunderstandings.
He assessed that consumers could misinterpret the label as an indicator that a product is entirely “healthy”, thereby encouraging excessive consumption that could actually harm health.
FAKTA Indonesia identified several major risks in the implementation of Nutri-Level by the Ministry of Health and the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM), including providing a misleading sense of safety.
“Products labelled A or B could be considered healthy overall, leading to consumption without regard to the intake of sugar, calories, or other substances,” he said.
Additionally, Ari noted that Nutri-Level assessments are generally based on specific portions, such as per 100 ml.
In practice, consumers often consume products in full packaging, such as 500 ml, making the intake of sugar and other substances much higher than understood.
The system also does not clearly warn about other contents like preservatives, colourings, or additives that pose risks, so products with a “good” rating may still have low nutritional quality.
“Moreover, the implementation of Nutri-Level also raises serious legal issues,” he said.
The policy, according to Ari, is deemed to lack a strong legal basis because it is voluntary and not regulated in binding general regulations.
To date, the maximum limits for sugar, salt, and fat (GGL), which should be the main basis for labelling, have not been established in the Minister of Health Regulation, as mandated by Law No. 17 of 2023 on Health and Government Regulation No. 28 of 2024 Implementing the Health Law.
The use of the Minister of Health’s Decree as the basis for implementing the label is deemed inappropriate.
In legal principles, policies that impose obligations on the public should be regulated in the form of regulations, not merely administrative decisions.
“Without a strong regulatory foundation, this policy lacks binding power and could lead to legal uncertainty,” he stated.
BPOM’s steps in promoting Nutri-Level are also deemed not aligned with BPOM Regulation No. 26 of 2021 on Nutritional Value Information on Processed Food Labels, thus potentially violating the principle of legal certainty.