Ahead Of Ramadan 2023, BPOM Asks Palembang Regency Governments To Socialize Hazardous Food Substances To Traders

Illustration of supervision by the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM). (Between)

Palembang City's Food and Drug Control Center (BPOM) has prepared a number of food quality and health monitoring measures ahead of the holy month of Ramadan 1444 Hijri.

Head of BPOM Palembang City, Zulkifli, said that before the month of Ramadan, the first thing to do was to supervise food distributors, including retail markets.

Furthermore, his party will write to the Palembang Regency Government through the Health Service and the local Trade Office to provide socialization to traders.

"Before entering the month of Ramadan, we together with related agencies will provide directions so that the traders do not sell foods that contain dangerous substances," he said in Palembang, Wednesday, February 15, which was confiscated by Antara.

After the traders are given socialization, he hopes that in the month of Ramadan there will be no more foods that contain harmful substances found.

Currently, BPOM Palembang City is promoting food safety communication, information and education (KIE) to the public.

He said that his party would carry out three empowerment programs, namely markets safe from harmful materials, PJAS security development (school children's snacks), and village food safety movements.

"In the context of the KIE prevention strategy, we have carried out information to the public together with members of Commission IX of the Palembang DPRD, and have also disseminated information on the district, sub-district, village levels," he said.

Zulkifli appealed to the entire community to keep checking Klik on food packaging before consuming.

"We urge the public to continue to check through Check Click for ready-to-eat food products and drinks, what we convey certainly has the potential to contain dangerous materials with what characteristics," he said.

Food and beverage products, as well as snacks in the month of Ramadan, will continue to be monitored because they do not rule out the possibility that preservatives will continue to appear that do not comply with recommendations from the health sector.

Therefore, he also appealed to food and beverage traders who usually appear during the fasting month, especially in beduk markets, to break the fast to avoid the use of harmful substances.