Ministry of Health reminds of safety standards for processing sacrificial meat

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Acting Director General of Disease Control at the Ministry of Health, Andi Saguni, has reminded the public to pay attention to food safety standards in the processing of sacrificial meat ahead of the 2026 Eid al-Adha celebrations, from storage to serving. Andi stated that sacrificial meat that has been cooked and served at room temperature must be consumed immediately before four hours to prevent contamination and bacterial growth. “That meat must be stored at room temperature, of course, because it is certainly served at room temperature, so it must be consumed immediately before four hours,” said Andi during a press conference with the Indonesian Government Public Communication Agency in Jakarta on Wednesday. He explained that fresh sacrificial meat received by the public should ideally be cooked immediately. However, if it has not yet been processed, the meat must be stored in the refrigerator at a temperature below 5 degrees Celsius, which can last up to four days. Meanwhile, for long-term storage, the meat is recommended to be stored in the freezer at a temperature of minus 18 to minus 20 degrees Celsius and is only suitable for storage up to three months. According to Andi, the public often forgets to use meat that has been stored in the freezer for too long, up to more than six months or a year. He emphasised that meat in that condition should no longer be consumed. “The Ministry of Health also urges the public to cook the meat until fully cooked to kill bacteria, including anthrax. In addition, large quantities of cooked meat are recommended to be divided into small portions before being stored again in the refrigerator to make it safer when consumed again,” he explained. Andi added that the transportation of cooked meat must also use clean and safe containers to avoid contamination during distribution.