Government Ensures Reusable Water Gallons are Safe for Use
The Director of Beverage, Tobacco, and Refreshment Industries at the Ministry of Industry, Merrijante Punguan Pitaria, has asserted that the public should not be anxious about using reusable gallons, as bottled water products (AMDK) are strictly monitored through national standards, periodic audits, and sanitation oversight before being reused.
She emphasised that AMDK, including reusable gallons, must comply with the Indonesian National Standard (SNI) and are routinely supervised by the government. “AMDK products are subject to mandatory SNI, with quality parameter monitoring and testing conducted through regular surveillance audits to ensure safety at the consumer level,” said Merrijanti.
This oversight is conducted in accordance with various food safety regulations and quality standards, including the provisions in the Minister of Industry Regulation Number 62 of 2024. Merrijanti explained that specifically for reusable gallons, every container returning to the factory must undergo physical inspection, washing, sanitation, and quality control before being refilled and redistributed. “Every reused gallon must undergo a sanitation and quality control process. The industry also checks the physical condition and age of the gallon before reuse,” she added.
She maintained that any gallon failing to meet the standards will not be redistributed. The AMDK industry also possesses a decommissioning mechanism to withdraw packaging deemed unfit for use. “If the condition of the packaging is no longer suitable for circulation to consumers, it will not be reused and will be decommissioned,” she stated.
In addition to government oversight, various academic studies have demonstrated the safety of using reusable gallons produced by official industries. Research from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the University of Sumatera Utara (USU) indicates that Bisphenol A (BPA) levels in water within reusable gallons are either undetectable or well below the safe thresholds set by regulators.
The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) has also previously affirmed that all food packaging circulating in Indonesia, including polycarbonate reusable gallons, remains safe to use as long as they meet the established BPA migration limits. BPOM sets the maximum BPA migration limit at 0.6 ppm (parts per million) in accordance with applicable food safety standards.
BPOM also stated that BPA exposure is not limited to a specific type of packaging, as the compound can be found in various everyday products, including the linings of food and beverage cans. Therefore, supervision is based on safe migration limits rather than merely the type of packaging material.
The Ministry of Industry also highlighted the importance of monitoring distribution outside official industrial channels, particularly the use of branded AMDK gallons by refill depots that operate outside the control of the original producers. According to Merrijante, the use of branded AMDK gallons by refill depots makes it more difficult for the industry to control the physical condition of the gallons in the field. “This causes the circulation of gallons in the community to become uncontrollable by the AMDK industry, both in terms of physical condition and quality,” she noted.
Amidst the rise of information causing public concern regarding reusable gallons, the government maintains that AMDK products produced by official industries remain under strict supervision and must meet food safety standards before reaching consumers. Oversight is conducted from packaging materials, production processes, sanitation, and distribution, through to periodic audits to ensure products remain safe for public consumption.