Noodles sold in traditional markets in the West Java capital of
Noodles sold in traditional markets in the West Java capital of Bandung contains formaldehyde, a banned preservative substance for food, a recent study shows.
And in a shocking admission, the West Java Food and Medicine Controlling Board (BPOM) says it has known that two-thirds of noodles sold contain the deadly substance but is powerless to do anything about it.
The survey, conducted by Pasundan University student Mutia Softie as part of her bachelor degree in food engineering, found that 60 samples of wet noodle taken from 31 traditional markets contained between 10.3 parts per million (ppm) and 117.7 ppm of formaldehyde.
2 lines * 3 coloms (2x22) Landslide victims sue forestry firm, govt The families of at least 26 people who were killed in a landslide that hit the East Java town of Pacet in December last year sued state forestry firm Perhutani and the local regent for causing the tragedy and demanded Rp 781 billion (about US$87 million) in compensation.
In Bandung, families of victims also filed a lawsuit worth Rp 50.41 billion against Perhutani and the government over a landslide that killed 21 people in the West Java town of Garut in January 2002.
The first class action suit was filed at the Surabaya district court on Wednesday, said Eko Sasmito, who heads a team of 20 lawyers representing the families.
"We have sued Perhutani and the Mojokerto regent head, Achmady, because the two are most responsible for the Mojokerto tragedy," said Eko.
4 lines * 2 coloms (4x10) Govt to lift emergency status in North Maluku
The government is preparing a presidential decree that will lift the civil emergency status in North Maluku, which has been in place for three years due to sectarian violence.
Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno said the government considered that security in the province had improved to normal levels.
"The situation in North Maluku is relatively conducive and it deserves a normal status," Hari said after a ministerial meeting on political and security affairs in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The government, however, has no plan to lift the emergency status in the neighboring province of Maluku, despite the improvement in security there.
Sectarian conflict between Christians and Muslims first broke out in the Maluku capital of Ambon on Jan. 19, 1999 and spread to the northern part of the province, which was eventually separated as a new province. Thousands were killed during the violence.