YLKI warns of contaminated meat

Dewi Santoso, Jakarta

The Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) has warned the public of the possibility of foot and mouth disease (FMD) as well as mad-cow disease outbreak as illegal importation of meat products remains rampant.

YLKI chairwoman Indah Sukmaningsih said a recent YLKI survey carried out in several traditional markets, including Ciledug market and Jombang market, both in the Banten municipality of Tangerang, discovered there were illegally imported meat products sold at low prices.

"One of the indicators that the meat products were imported illegally was their low price at around Rp 21,000 (US$2.33) per kilogram (kg), far below the market price of between Rp 36,000 and Rp 38,000 per kg for local meat products," said Indah.

The normal price for imported meat products is far above Rp 38,000 per kg.

Another indicator was the fake packaging on those products.

"It is written on the products' cartons that they were imported from a meat producer in New Zealand. Yet, when we cross- checked with the New Zealand Embassy here, they said they didn't recognize the producer," Indah said.

FMD, a severe, highly communicable viral disease of cattle and swine, can also affect sheep, goats, deer and other cloven-hooved ruminants.

Mad-cow disease, also known as Bovine Spongiform Encephalophathy (BSE), can spread in a form of already infected beef or cattle. It is fatal and is thus far not curable.

The latest BSE scare hit the country last November.

Indah suspected the illegal meat products came from India, Brazil and Argentina, but could not provide solid proof.

The Ministry of Agriculture last year issued the decree No. 150/TN.530/A/VI/2003 that bans importation of meat products from countries with FMD, including India, Brazil and Argentina.

"To date, the decree hasn't been revoked. Therefore, any import of meat products from the three countries is considered illegal," said Indah.

She suspected that illegal meat products were smuggled into Indonesia using false documents, which fooled the customs and excise officers or fake repackaging as if they came New Zealand or Australia, countries exempted by the ministerial decree.

"I urge the government to take action to stop the rampant illegal importation," she said.

She suggested that the Ministry of Agriculture cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the customs and excise office to curb all smuggling.

Indonesian Cattle and Buffalo Farmer Association chairman Rochadi Tawaf agreed with Indah, saying it was high time for the government to take action as the volume of illegally imported meat products had increased to an alarming level.

Rochadi, however, could not provide the exact figures of the volume of illegally imported meat products.

He quoted the Directorate General of Animal Husbandry, which said hundreds of tons of meat products on the market were illegally imported.

YLKI survey also found meat products imported from the United States were sold at some supermarkets despite the government ban. The foundation refused to identify the supermarkets.

"It only shows that the government does not supervise the implementation of the regulation." said Indah.