Producers and consumers

From Prospek

It is increasingly difficult for the Directorate General of Medicine and Food Control to supervise, examine and test the foods produced in factories or home industries.

There is a regulation requiring that the products be re- registered after a certain period of time. It depends on the consciousness of the producers to obey this regulation. In practice, however, many producers lack the consciousness to abide by the rule.

Another constraint is that the directorate general is short on manpower to properly supervise the regulations. The result is that many products available on the market are not registered. So consumers run the risk of eating dangerous goods, such as the recent case of people consuming poisonous food. In addition, for religious reasons, there are foods that must not be consumed by Moslems.

Still, many varieties of snack foods are sold in villages. The children are usually very fond of foods like jelly, syrup, etc. I am convinced that most of the foods on sale in villages are not registered and I fear that the raw materials and coloring substances used in the products are not hygienic or healthy. If something wrong happens, who is held responsible?

To avoid any problems, the following precautions should be taken:

* Do not let children eat or drink stuff that contains preservatives or artificial coloring.

* Do not eat foods which are covered with mildew, smelly or whose packages are damaged.

* Keep away from food stuff that is not registered.

* Buy only foods which have expire dates printed on the packaging.

* Beware of foods that contain pork (for Moslems).

Producers are expected to register their products at the Health Ministry.

NOVI

Healthy Women Association

Jakarta