Minyakita Producer Withdraws All Products Tainted with Fuel Odour from Circulation
Minyakita producer PT Kusuma Mukti Remaja (KMR) has confirmed it has withdrawn all products from circulation that were indicated to be problematic. The company came under scrutiny after its products were complained about for smelling of fuel, specifically diesel or kerosene.
PT KMR claims the product withdrawal process has reached 100 percent in the affected regions, totalling more than 182,500 litres. The company is also awaiting the results of a laboratory investigation regarding the cause of the contamination.
PT KMR Director Joko Mukti Wijaya stated the withdrawal was carried out on all products from the production batch suspected to be problematic, not just the packages complained about by the public. “As of today, we have withdrawn 100 percent. The problematic cooking oil in Karanganyar, Klaten, and Wonogiri has been completely withdrawn,” Joko said during a press conference at the PT KMR factory in Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, on Friday, 26 June 2026.
According to him, the withdrawal process was supported by the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and village officials, allowing it to reach remote areas. He mentioned there were no significant obstacles during the product replacement process for the public receiving the food aid.
Based on company data, the amount of product withdrawn in Karanganyar Regency reached 42,640 litres. In Wonogiri Regency, 68,288 litres were withdrawn, while in Klaten Regency, the figure was 71,648 litres. Joko said all of it has been replaced with new products. Data for the withdrawal in Tegal Regency has not yet been submitted as it is still being compiled.
Joko explained that the product indicated to be problematic was estimated at around 100 tonnes. However, the company chose to withdraw around 300 tonnes because all products from the same batch had to be withdrawn as a preventive measure. “If one batch is problematic, we cannot pick and choose. Everything must be withdrawn,” he said.
The withdrawn products will not be redistributed for consumption. According to Joko, the cooking oil will be sold as used cooking oil for the production of biodiesel.
PT KMR is still investigating the cause of the diesel or kerosene smell in the product. Initial suspicions point to possible contamination during storage or the transportation process. However, the company has not drawn any conclusions pending the results of laboratory tests expected in one to two weeks.
“It is still under investigation. There is a possibility of contamination during storage or transportation, but we are waiting for the laboratory results so as not to jump to the wrong conclusion,” Joko said.
He stated the case only occurred in products manufactured over a four-day period, specifically from 2 to 5 June 2026. All production outside this period is declared problem-free and continues to be distributed, including ongoing deliveries to Bulog in West Java.
PT KMR produces around 5,000 tonnes of cooking oil per month. Of that amount, the products suspected to be affected are estimated at only around 20 tonnes, or less than two percent of total monthly production.
Joko also emphasised that the problematic batch was entirely production for the government’s food aid programme and was not circulated in the commercial market. “The market is safe. Almost 100 percent of the problematic batch was production for food aid,” he said.
The company stated it is ready to take responsibility if any members of the public are found to have suffered health problems from consuming the cooking oil. However, Joko said no medical reports have been received by the company to date.
Meanwhile, PT KMR acknowledged that it has been questioned by the police regarding the handling of the case. Joko said the investigation focused more on the cause of the suspected contamination and the company’s steps in withdrawing and replacing the products for the public.
PT KMR has been supplying Minyakita to Bulog for about two to three years, with total distribution exceeding 10,000 tonnes. Joko stated this is the first quality issue the company has experienced since it began producing Minyakita around three years ago.
As a follow-up, the company has pledged to tighten its quality control system and follow up on several inputs from the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) to prevent a recurrence.