YLKI demands government's action on bad pudding

YLKI demands government's action on bad pudding

JAKARTA (JP): A senior consumer protection advocate called on
the government on Friday to inspect the distribution and sales of
some imported chocolate pudding suspected to have poisoned more
than 30 children in the past few days.

Tini Hadad, the former chairwoman of the Indonesian Consumers
Association (YLKI), said anybody distributing or selling the
pudding should be prosecuted.

"The association will meet with the Ministry of Health's
Director General for Drug and Food Control Sampurno next week to
discuss the matter.

"We'll push the director general to inspect all supermarkets,
traditional markets, shops and kiosks soon to ascertain all the
pudding was withdrawn," she told The Jakarta Post.

She said it was surprising to find the product, which had
expired in May last year according to media reports, still being
sold to the public.

Tini said there was a possibility that certain people took
advantage of selling the expired product as it sold at a cheaper
price.

"Such an import is usually expensive," she said.

Tini said those involved in the food distribution could be
charged.

She suggested that the Ministry of Health and the Directorate
General of Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Trade and
Industry should empower food vendors, especially those operating
at schools, to only sell health and registered food.

Thirty-one students at a state elementary school in Central
Jakarta were rushed to Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital for
treatment of suspected food poisoning after they ate imported
chocolate pudding sold near the school yard.

A physician at the hospital's emergency unit, Abdul Latief,
said the children suffered dehydration following constant
vomiting.

The children bought the puddings packaged in small brown
plastic containers with the brand Elle Vire and a picture of the
Eiffel tower on the label with "Made in France" written below.
They paid Rp 300 (7 US cents) per container from a man, who was
not seen before in the area.

There was no expiry date nor government registration number on
the pudding package. It is compulsory for the date and number to
be printed on every imported food item that enters the country.

Meanwhile, a government decree, issued last June, stipulated
imported food from France, the Netherlands and Germany was to
have a dioxin-free certificate with it before entering the
country following the decision to ban imported food from Belgium.

Sampurno was not available for comment on Friday. His
secretary, Lis, said he was at a staff meeting. (ind)