Cs-137 Contamination Found In Cengkih From Lampung, Government Makes Sure It Doesn't Expand

The Radionuclide Radiation Hazard Management Task Force Cesium-137 (Cs-137 Handling Task Force) ensures that Indonesian clove products contaminated with radioactive substances come from Lampung.

Head of the Communication and Diplomacy Division of the Cs-137 Bara Task Force, Krishna Hasibuan, said the government had sent a team to review three locations for processing cloves in Surabaya, East Java, after reports emerged from the United States authorities regarding the findings of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive substances in clove products from Indonesia.

"From the results of the review, it is known that the processing site received clove supplies from two plantations, namely Pati (Central Java) and Lampung. We can confirm that contamination was found in plantations in Lampung," Bara said at a press conference at the Coordinating Ministry for Food, Jakarta, Antara, Monday, October 13.

He emphasized that contamination was found in a limited number and did not spread to other regions or commodities.

As an anticipatory measure, the Cs-137 Task Force together with the Nuclear Energy Supervisory Agency (Bapeten) recommended that clove products indicated that they were exposed to Cs-137 not be traded temporarily, until the results of further laboratory tests were completed.

The team is still investigating the source of the contamination in Lampung. The government is moving quickly to localize so as not to spread to other areas," he said.

Bara appealed to the public and business actors to remain calm and wait for official results from the government laboratory. He also ensured that the government would convey information openly and periodically to the public.

Previously, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found Cesium-137 radioactive substances in clove products from Indonesia exported by PT NJS.

Based on these findings, the FDA blocked all imports of spices from the company. This finding adds to the list of cases of radioactive contamination to Indonesian food products, after previously export frozen shrimp was also reported to have been exposed to Cs-137.