PT KMR Tarik 300 Ton Minyakita from Circulation as a Preemptive Step and Consumer Protection

Illustration. (Photo: Dok. Antara)

JAKARTA - PT Kusuma Mukti Remaja (KMR) has withdrawn about 300 tons of Minyakita products from circulation as a proactive step to ensure consumer protection while supporting the investigation process for reports of alleged quality degradation of products distributed through the government's food assistance program. The withdrawal was proactive even though the allegedly affected products were estimated to be only around 100 tons.

This step is a form of the company's commitment to maintaining product quality and ensuring that every report submitted by the public is followed up quickly, transparently, and responsibly. In parallel with the product recall process, PT KMR also coordinates with the government, Perum BULOG, law enforcement, and independent laboratories to identify the causes of the alleged decline in product quality.

Reports on Minyakita products that allegedly have decreased in quality were first received from Wonogiri Regency, Central Java, then followed by a number of other areas, including Klaten, Karanganyar, and Sragen. A number of recipients of government food assistance complained that the two-liter cooking oil had an aroma similar to solar, a darker color, and affected the taste of food when used for cooking.

One of the recipients of the assistance, Tri Yuni, a resident of Wonoboyo Village, Wonogiri Regency, said that the Minyakita product he received through the food assistance program on June 10, 2026 had an unpleasant smell so that the food processed using the oil tasted bitter.

Following up on the report, the government together with Perum BULOG withdrew the product from the community and opened a cooking oil exchange service for recipients of assistance. At the same time, an investigation was carried out with the police and laboratories to determine the cause of the alleged contamination of the product.

Director of PT Kusuma Mukti Remaja, Joko Muktiwijaya, said that the company is still waiting for the results of laboratory investigations which are expected to be completed in one to two weeks.

"We are committed to fully supporting the investigation process so that the causes of this incident can be known objectively. The provisional suspicion points to the possibility of contamination during the storage or distribution process, but we choose to wait for the results of laboratory testing before drawing conclusions," said Joko, Thursday, July 2.

In addition to withdrawing products from circulation, PT KMR also opened an exchange service for affected people and ensured the company's readiness to bear the cost of health services if there are people who have complaints after consuming the suspected problematic Minyakita product.

PT KMR emphasized that the findings of alleged quality degradation to date have only been found in Minyakita products distributed through the government's food assistance program. Meanwhile, Minyakita products marketed through the general trade channel are still safe to consume because they are produced and distributed according to applicable quality standards.

PT KMR will continue to disclose the results of the investigation publicly as a form of transparency to the public. The company is also committed to taking every necessary step to maintain product safety, protect consumers, and maintain public trust.

From the perspective of crisis communication, the steps taken by PT Kusuma Mukti Remaja (KMR) show crisis management efforts in line with the Situational Crisis Communication Theory (SCCT) developed by W. Timothy Coombs. This theory explains that crisis communication strategies need to be adjusted to public perceptions of the causes of the crisis and the level of responsibility imposed on the organization. The greater the public's responsibility associated with the organization, the greater the organization's need to undertake reputation recovery efforts.

In this case it can be categorized as an Accidental Cluster. Where the organization is seen to have a medium level of responsibility because the event occurred due to unplanned technical factors. In accordance with the SCCT, the most relevant response strategy for the Accidental Cluster category is the Diminish Strategy which aims to provide an explanation to the public regarding the causes of the incident as well as to show that the organization did not intentionally cause the crisis.