Government to simplify food export assessment
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)