Food enhancer boss arrested over controversial MSG

JAKARTA (JP): As the withdrawal of Ajinomoto taste enhancers continues, police are still questioning president of PT Ajinomoto Indonesia, Mitsuo Oda Arakawa, over the use of pig enzymes in its monosodium glutamate (MSG) product.

Jakarta Police Detectives Chief High Comr. Harry Montolalu said Arakawa was arrested at his residence in Jakarta on Sunday night.

"He is still being questioned over the matter," Harry told reporters on Monday.

But lawyer Amir Syamsuddin denied that his client was arrested, saying that Arakawa surrendered himself to the police on Sunday evening.

Amir has suggested to his client that he cooperate with the police investigation as it relates to a sensitive religious issue.

The East Java Police have also arrested the company's vice president Yashusi Oda, but have yet to decide the status of the executive.

"It depends on the questioning. He is not yet a suspect," East Java Police Detectives Chief High Comr. Bambang Hendarso said.

First secretary to the Japanese Embassy Shigeo Aoyama refused to comment on the arrest, saying that the case involved private businessmen.

"We observe the case, but it's a private matter," Aoyama told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Police have already arrested six of the company's executives for allegedly having prior knowledge of the production and marketing of the taste enhancer, which did not qualify for its Muslim halal certification.

The firm's general manager Cokorda Bagus Sudarta and its senior manager Yusi Purba were arrested in Jakarta on Saturday.

The remaining four, the company's technical director Yasuko Koyama, quality control manager Haryono, production manager Hartono and factory manager Hary Saksono, were arrested in East Java on Friday night.

Police accuse the six suspects of violating the Consumer Protection Law No. 8/1999, particularly Article 8 which stipulates that a product labeled halal (consumable under Islamic Law), should follow halal processing procedures in its production.

Amir Syamsuddin said PT Ajinomoto imported 500 grams of bactoysoytone enzymes from a biological engineering firm, Difco Inc., based in the United States.

He said the enzymes could be used for two years production, equal to 120,000 tons of MSG, but PT Ajinomoto planned to only produce 80,000 tons of the taste enhancer.

He said the enzymes, which are produced from pig enzymes and soybeans, were not directly used as ingredients of the MSG, but instead as a media in its production process.

The company has reportedly produced 10,000 tons of the MSG which used the pig enzyme. As many as 3,000 tons were distributed domestically, while the remaining 7,000 tons were exported.

At least eight containers of the taste enhancer were returned from a distribution firm to the company's factory in Mojokerto in East Java on Monday.

The withdrawal of the products was also reported in several provinces.

The firm came under fire after the Indonesian Council of Muslim Ulema (MUI) announced that the company had used pig enzymes in its product.

Meanwhile, Minister of Religious Affairs Tolchah Hasan called on Indonesian Muslims on Monday "not to be too emotional in responding to the Ajinomoto case".

"We have to remain cool in dealing with this matter, but Muslims also have to be critical when assessing other products in the market.

"People have the right to be angry and disappointed, but they must not resort to violence as the authorities have taken all necessary actions in handling the case," Tolchah said during a gathering of the 55th Anniversary of the ministry's Amal Bhakti (Service) Day in Jakarta.

He reminded people to avoid anarchy as the Ajinomoto case also concerned other groups of people.

"Even though the case is outrageous, we have to be able to cope with the situation so that there will be no dispute with other religious or racial groups.

"This case is an expensive lesson for food manufacturers," he said, adding that non-Muslims also have the right to consume Ajinomoto.

Tolchah further revealed a plan to set up a consumer-watch team within the ministry.

"This team will be coordinated with other existing institutions, such as the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and MUI," he added.

Separately, National Police deputy chief of detectives Brig. Gen. Sudirman Ail said on Monday that police forces nationwide were already assisting the withdrawal of all MSG products distributed by PT Ajinomoto.

"PT Ajinomoto will remain closed until further notice, and we have suggested that MUI issue a different decree on Ajinomoto products, and other MSG products, with contain pork," Sudirman told reporters at city police headquarters. (nur/edt/jun/ylt)