House passes food bill into law
House passes food bill into law
JAKARTA (JP): The House of Representatives approved a
government-sponsored food bill yesterday which will guarantee
food safety, create a climate of fair and responsible trade of
foodstuffs and help small-scale food industries to thrive.
The bill was passed into law yesterday by all four factions of
the House -- the Armed Forces, Golkar, Indonesian Democratic
Party and United Development Party -- after almost four months of
deliberations.
State Minister of Food Ibrahim Hasan said in a plenary meeting
of the House yesterday the food law is aimed at regulating
foodstuffs to be distributed and sold, but is not applicable for
food produced and consumed by private households.
"The goal of regulating, supervising and controlling
foodstuffs is to obtain food which meets safety, quality and
nutrition requirements... and to create a climate of fair and
responsible food trade," Ibrahim said.
He said the regulation is also expected to create a sound
level of national food security, where prices are reasonable and
affordable to the public.
The food law, when enacted after being signed by President
Soeharto, will help Indonesia face challenges that may arise with
the implementation of the World Trade Organization rules in the
next century, he said.
"A set of regulations can help Indonesia increase and maintain
its role in the world food market, while at the same time
protecting its domestic consumers," he said.
He said if food producers meet the requirements stipulated by
the food law, they will be able to compete on both the domestic
and world markets.
"All the conditions and penalties stated in this law are aimed
at protecting public health and safety," he said.
Requirements
Commenting on food safety, Ibrahim said the regulation
contains requirements on sanitation, food additives, genetic
engineering, food irradiation, food packaging, quality control,
laboratory food and quality testing, and food labeling and
advertising.
"These requirements will apply to both domestic and foreign
products," he said.
Ibrahim said, however, that in cases of emergency -- when the
issue of food security becomes an urgent one -- the government
may temporarily disregard the rulings on food security, labeling,
quality and nutrition requirements.
Meanwhile, House members urged the government to introduce
additional rulings for the implementation of the law as soon as
possible.
A spokesperson for the Armed Forces faction, M. Situmorang,
said once the law is backed up by such rulings, it can be
disseminated to the public and enforced by related government
institutions.
A spokesman for the United Development Party's faction, Masrur
Javas, said labeling for food packages, including those
indicating that the food is halal -- or acceptable by Islamic
standards -- should not increase food prices.
"By applying the halal labeling, consumers will have a greater
feeling of security," Masrur said. (pwn)