Protect The Community, The Riau Islands BPOM Supervises The Food Safety Of Eid Parcels

Head of BPOM Batam, Riau Islands, Musthofa Anwari (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Batam Food and Drug Supervision Center (BPOM), Riau Islands oversees the security of food packaged specifically for Eid al-Fitr 1446 Hijri/2025, to protect the public from damaged and unlicensed foods.

"One of the main tasks and functions of BPOM is the supervision of drugs and food during Ramadan and before Eid al-Fitr," said Head of BPOM Batam Musthofa Anawari as reported by ANTARA.

He explained that there are two big agendas in terms of intensifying the supervision of drugs and food, namely first the supervision of processed foods to food sellers' suggestions, be it super markets, shops, kiosks, and so on.

"The goal is to check whether the products are without distribution permits (TIE), expiration, support, and are not worth selling," he said.

According to Musthofa, surveillance of these parcels will be carried out regularly and as to what the results will be reported to the center.

The possibility of checking the special packaging food for parcels is carried out ahead of Eid al-Fitr. "Later on, we will check the warehouses, importers and also the food seller facilities," he said.

In addition to the supervision of parcels, BPOM also checks the security of takjil food at takjil sales centers in Batam City and other cities in the Riau Islands region.

For Batam City and Karimun Regency, it was held last Wednesday (5/3), with the result that no hazardous chemicals were found in takjil foods sold by the public.

In ensuring food safety in the community, Musthofa said there are three layers of food-related supervision. The first layer of processed food producers or sellers is obliged to make products according to the rules, meaning that they do not mix the food something dangerous in it.

Lapis kedua, adalah pemerintah, yakni BPOM yang punya kewenangan membuat regulasi aturan dan juga ada kegiatan pengawasan, bila ditemukan pidana akan dilakukan projustitia (penegakan hukum).

"The last fire is consumers, all of us, all those who buy or consume food products have the right to good and quality processed foods," said Musthofa.

In a number of shopping centers, they have peddled various parcels containing various packaged food products, which are sold at varying prices, ranging from Rp250 thousand, Rp500 thousand, to Rp1 million.

Purchases of parcels are usually carried out two weeks before Eid al-Fitr, as gifts for relatives and employees.