Government to simplify food export assessment

JAKARTA (JP): The government is at work on a plan to simplify and standardize the quality control policies for exported food currently used by three ministries, the state minister of food announced yesterday.

Speaking at a hearing with members of House Commission VII for food, trade and financial affairs, Ibrahim Hasan said that a "one-stop policy" could streamline the control system utilized by the ministries of agriculture, health as well as industry and trade.

Ibrahim said a one-stop quality control mechanism will be applied to the overall management process, starting from raw material processing and treatment, product distribution and storing, up to environmental impact recording.

"Most Indonesian companies only apply quality control to their final products," he said.

This has caused many food exports -- both raw and processed products -- to be held up by importer countries, he said.

"Commodities like cocoa, spices and fish products are frequently rejected because they contain high amounts of filth," he said.

Most developed countries insist that imports meet the criteria of the International Standardization Organization (ISO). The ISO requires a company to apply sound quality management systems at all stages of production.

"For the food industry, the implementation of ISO standards means a fundamental change in the management of an industry and its human resources," he said.

Apart from a sound management system, many developed countries demand that food imports meet certain product standards, which have been approved by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization.

In order to meet these standards, Ibrahim said, the government has conducted training programs for managers in the food- processing industry on hazard analysis, critical control and good manufacturing practices.

"The government will increase coordination among the ministries involved in the industry. This way, the one-gate policy can be implemented in the near future," he said, without giving a specific time frame. (icn/pwn)