Cyber Patrol, BPOM Finds 3,400 Links Selling Food Products Without Marketing Permits

JAKARTA - Head of the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) Penny K. Lukito said his party found that in cyber patrols there were still thousands of links selling processed food products without distribution permits ahead of the Christmas and New Year periods.

"About 3,400 links were found that sell food products without a distribution permit. So please remember that the public is given an understanding that selling processed food through online must also obtain a distribution permit," said Penny in a virtual press conference attended from Jakarta, Antara, Friday, December 24.

A total of 3,393 links selling processed food products without a distribution permit were found from the results of the intensification of processed food supervision carried out by BPOM ahead of Christmas 2021 and New Year 2022.

He ensured that the findings had been coordinated with the Ministry of Communication and Information (Kemenkominfo) and the Indonesian E-Commerce Association (idEA). Thousands of those links have also been blocked.

"We have built communication, built cooperation to jointly maintain circulation through online, online sales of processed food still meet the required standards. Of course, we must first obtain a distribution permit with the POM for food, which is indeed required to obtain a distribution permit, ' said Penny.

The results of the intensification of supervision from stage III to mid-December, with five stages in the period December 1, 2021-7 January 2022, also found that from the inspection of nine e-commerce warehouse facilities, all of them had complied with existing regulations.

On that occasion, Penny reminded that there are sanctions if the facilities do not meet the existing provisions, including in maintaining the quality of the processed food products.

If a facility that does not meet the provisions is obtained, explained Penny, BPOM will carry out guidance which will be followed by gradual warnings and sanctions if there is no improvement.

Intensification of processed food supervision is simultaneously carried out by BPOM throughout Indonesia as an effort to provide security and tranquility for the community.

Supervision is carried out at distribution facilities, both traditional and online, to ensure that the facilities and products meet the provisions.

The results of intensification of processed food supervision have so far been carried out on 1,975 processed food distribution facilities with 631 of them found or 32 percent included in the category of not meeting the provisions (TMK).

It was also found that 41,306 products with TMK were dominated by expired food by 53 percent of the total findings, 31.3 percent of products without marketing authorization and 15.7 percent of damaged products.