Import ban on Belgian food valid on Monday
Import ban on Belgian food valid on Monday
JAKARTA (JP): The Ministry of Industry and Trade said on
Friday that the ban on imports of Belgian farm, poultry and food
products would take effect on Monday.
Director General of International Trade Djoko Moeljono said
the ban was issued on the recommendation of the Ministry of
Health.
The import ban also affects farm and dairy products from the
Netherlands, France and Germany until they are accompanied by
certificates to ensure they are free of dioxin, a carcinogen in
humans.
"The ban on Belgian products will be effective until there is
international clarification on the matter," he said.
"And for products from France, the Netherlands and Germany, we
are waiting for official clarification from their government that
their products sold in Indonesia were thoroughly examined by
related institutions before being exported here."
Djoko said he hoped the governments of the latter three
countries would understand Indonesia's reasons for imposing the
ban.
Director General of Domestic Trade Teddy Setiadi said he also
ordered all of the ministry's provincial offices to demand that
retailers withdraw Belgian and other European food products
included on the health ministry's list of banned products.
"Starting Monday, they will inspect all retailers' shelves.
Products from the Netherlands, France and Germany made after Jan.
19 will be temporarily withdrawn from the shelves and stored in
warehouses until they pass the Ministry of Health's tests," he
said.
Teddy said a ban on sales and distribution also applied to all
locally produced food products containing Belgian farm or dairy
ingredients produced after Jan. 19. He said the restriction would
remain in effect until the dioxin scandal was resolved.
He said any penalties imposed on violators would be according
to the 1992 Health Law since the implementation of the newly
ratified Consumer Protection Law will only take effect in April
2000.
The Ministry of Health issued on Thursday a list of European
farm and dairy products which have been banned or temporarily
withdrawn from the market.
Twenty-four items, including butter, cheese, corned beef and
chicken hot dogs made in the Netherlands, France or Germany after
Jan. 19, are listed as products to be recalled.
The products may be sold after they pass tests conducted by
the health ministry's Directorate General of Food and Medicine
Supervision.
The scare over Belgian food products emerged in late May when
Belgium announced that high levels of dioxin in chicken and eggs
had spread to the country's pork, beef and dairy products.
Many countries, including the Philippines, Thailand,
Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia, imposed
blanket-trade bans on European farm and dairy products.
Asked why the Ministry of Industry and Trade responded
relatively slowly to the scare, Teddy said that his office needed
to wait for the recommendation from the ministry of health's
Directorate General of Food and Medicine Supervision.
Teddy urged the public not to panic since the government
resorted to appropriate measures to safeguard public health and
protect local products from dioxin.
He also said that the Ministry of Health assured that all
locally made milk products were tested and certified as dioxin-
free since they were made with ingredients from the United
States, Australia and New Zealand, but not Europe.(gis)