Officials warn of chemicals in local food

Tantri Yuliandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Beware of what you eat, for in that appetizing bowl of chicken noodles there may lurk chemical substances fit only for fertilizer, furniture or corpses.

Recent investigations by the Jakarta Food and Drug Office (BB- POM) found more than 60 percent of salted fish, fresh noodles and tofu sold in Greater Jakarta and Banten contained high levels of formaldehyde.

BB-POM head Atiek Harwati said on Tuesday that recent bouts of food poisoning in the country had prompted her office to investigate the formaldehyde content of food products that were usually preserved using the substance.

"Our routine investigation of food products in traditional markets and supermarkets discovered that more than 60 percent of the samples taken between November and December contained formaldehyde," she said in a media briefing on Tuesday.

Formaldehyde at room temperature is a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling gas widely used in the production of fertilizer, paper, plywood and urea-formaldehyde resins. It is also used for industrial fungicide, germicide and disinfectant, and as a preservative in mortuaries and medical laboratories.

It is also normally present in both indoor and outdoor air at low levels. Materials containing formaldehyde can also release formaldehyde gas or vapor into the air, and it can also be released into the air by burning wood, kerosene, natural gas or cigarettes, through automobile emissions, or from natural processes.

It became widely used as a preservative in certain foods because of its cheap price, availability, and the fact that its use does not have any bearing on production.

Some of the findings include 413 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air (ppm) in Aneka Rasa noodles, 168 ppm in Bintang Terang noodles, 80 ppm in Bintang Terang tofu, and 50 ppm in Jo's Food noodles.

"The majority of formaldehyde-treated food products, however, are produced by small household industries without proper brand names," Atiek said.

The BB-POM's investigation found that fresh fish in Jakarta and dried noodles did not contain formaldehyde.

A noodle vendor in Palmerah Market in South Jakarta said he used formaldehyde so his noodles did not go off easily.

"Noodles with formaldehyde can last for a very long time. Even after immersing them in soup, all you have to do is rinse and dry them, then you can reuse them another time," he said, adding that formaldehyde was easily bought at any chemical shop in the city.

When formaldehyde is present in the air at levels exceeding 0.1 ppm, some individuals may experience health effects such as watery eyes, a burning sensation in the eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, wheezing, nausea and skin irritation.

Excessive intake, on the other hand, could cause severe pain, vomiting, coma, and possible death.

"It can also cause heart, lung, and brain disorders, as well as effect the nervous system and kidneys," Atiek said.

The best preservative for salted fish is, of course, salt, she said, adding that for tofu and noodles no preservatives were necessary.

Tofu with a high formaldehyde content is usually tougher than those without preservatives, while formaldehyde-treated fresh noodles are generally more oily, Atiek explained.

"So watch what you eat, choose foods that are safe for consumption, clean, and produced according to health standards," she said.