Removal of taste enhancer across the nation goes on

Removal of taste enhancer across the nation goes on

JAKARTA (JP): The withdrawal of over 3,000 tons of Ajinomoto
taste enhancers continued across the country on Sunday as six PT
Ajinomoto Indonesia executives remain in detention over the
controversy, concerning the use of pig enzymes in its production
process.

Police assisted the withdrawal of all Ajinomoto taste
enhancers over the weekend, and as of Sunday afternoon seized at
least 110 kilograms from several traditional markets in the
capital.

As many as 15,008 packages, or 180 tons, of the company's
product were also reportedly seized at the company's warehouse in
North Jakarta on Saturday.

In Batam, Riau, the company's local distributor has recalled
at least 100 Ajinomoto packages, chief of the distribution firm
Wendy said on Saturday.

As much as 23 tons of MSG has been distributed in Batam since
Dec. 20.

The firm distributed 13 tons itself, while the remaining 10
tons were dispersed by distributor PT Mostplay in Tanjung Pinang,
Bintan Island.

A team, consisting of officials from the Ministry of Industry
and Trade, Ministry of Religious Affairs and the Batam mayoralty,
found no products while inspecting local markets on Saturday.

The company produced a total of 10,000 tons of MSG through its
factory in Mojokerto, East Java.

Up to 3,000 tons was marketed locally, while the remaining
7,000 tons was exported.

PT Ajinomoto has come under fire since the Indonesian Ulemas
Council (MUI) announced that the company had used pig enzymes, or
bactoysoyton, in its production process. Islam bans pork and pork
by-products.

Meanwhile six executives of PT Ajinomoto Indonesia remained in
detention on Sunday.

City Police Chief Insp. Gen. Mulyono Sulaiman said the six
officials were arrested because they are believed to have had
prior knowledge of the production and marketing of the non-
compliant monosodium glutamate taste enhancer.

"We can coordinate our investigation with the East Java Police
investigation," Mulyono told reporters from his official
residence on Sunday.

City Police arrested two of the executives, the firm's general
manager Cokorda Bagus Sudarta and its senior manager Yusi R.
Purba, on Saturday.

The remaining four, the company's technical director Yosuko
Koyama, quality control manager Haryono, production manager
Hartono and factory manager Hary Saksono were arrested in East
Java on Friday night.

The executives were arrested for violating the Consumer
Protection Law No. 8/1999, particularly Article 8 which
stipulates that a product should follow halal procedures if it is
labeled halal (allowable for Muslim consumption under Islamic
law).

Violations of the article attract a maximum sentence of five
years in jail or a maximum fine of Rp 2 billion, according to
Article 63 of the Law.

Mulyono said that the executives' arrests were made in
response to a complaint submitted by the Indonesian Consumer
Institute Foundation (YLKI).

YLKI, representing five women's organizations, filed the
complaint on Friday, accusing the company of deception.

Meanwhile in Tokyo on Saturday, Japan's Ajinomoto Co.
expressed regret that its products had generated concern among
consumers.

"We have caused concern among consumers over a religious
issue," a public relations official at the company's Tokyo head
office said, as quoted by Kyodo.

A product recall has also begun in Singapore, which the
Indonesian unit supplies, the firm said, while claiming that
Ajinomoto products in Malaysia do not contain extracts from pork
fat, as has been previously alleged.(26/jun)