DPR Encourages Government To Immediately Issue Healthy Food Technical Rules, Including Snacks

Photo by Fikri Rasyid on Unsplash

JAKARTA - The Indonesian House of Representatives highlighted the rise of cases of minors doing dialysis due to excess eating unhealthy foods and drinks. Commission IX of the House of Representatives also encouraged the Government to immediately issue technical rules related to healthy foods after Government Regulation (PP) Number 28 of 2024 was issued.

"Seeing the condition of Indonesia where children and adolescents often experience chronic diseases that cause dialysis, this indicates a very worrying condition," said Member of Commission IX Rahmad Handoyo, Wednesday, August 7.

According to Rahmad, the recent illness experienced by children and adolescents has been caused by an unhealthy lifestyle such as consuming food and drinking which is not guaranteed health and safety.

"Children now have an unhealthy lifestyle, consume a lot of foods and high-packaged drinks, sugar, salt and fat. So indeed the rules regarding healthy food should be made," explained the legislator from the Central Java V electoral district.

Rahmad explained that the current regulation is the Health Law Number 17 of 2023 and its derivative in PP Number 28 of 2024 concerning health that has just been issued by the Government. In line with this, Commission IX of the DPR has also formed a Working Committee (Panja) for Supervision of Processed Food and Food Products Ready to Be Saji with Sugar, Salt and Fat Content (GGL).

The case of the distribution of dangerous food branded 'Hot Spice Latiru and Latiao Strips which are thought to have originated from China and resulted in dozens of students at SDN Cidadap I, Sukaraja District, Sukabumi Regency, West Java, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, strengthening the purpose of establishing the GGL Working Committee which is currently running.

"Panja was formed to encourage GGL restrictions through regulations to protect the public from non-communicable diseases. This is all in the interests of the community so as not to consume excessive unhealthy food and drinks," said Rahmad.

Apart from making rules and policies, Commission IX of the DPR assesses that it is also important to disseminate information to the public to recognize which foods and drinks are not suitable for consumption. Rahmad also requested that the Government be more stringent in monitoring and regulations on what products can be circulated in the market.

"If you look at the affected cities, they are not border areas, then there are regulations that are wrong here. The supervision needs to be tightened again," he said.

One of the important points in PP No. 28/202 is the obligation of local governments to regulate traders selling in the school environment, including the menu they offer. This rule is said to aim to ensure that children get healthy food and prevent diabetes cases in children.

Although he meant well, Rahmad reminded that the rules should not be wrongly targeted from their main goals.

"Actually, the goal is good, yes, making derivative regulations, but don't get the wrong target by harming MSMEs. If we observe traders who sell in the school environment, it's small traders who also earn a living. Don't let the rules interfere with their livelihoods," he explained.

Furthermore, Rahmad asked the Government to immediately issue technical regulations which are derivatives of PP 28/2024 through the Minister of Health Regulation (Permenkes), especially for food/packaging drinks so that BPOM is more careful in passing packaged products.

"Children tend to like large company packaging products, snacks such as cikin, candy, etc. So if only MSME products are targeted, I think the Government's efforts to suppress diabetes cases in children will not be effective," he said.

"Don't just highlight MSME traders, but pay attention to food and beverage companies whose products contain unhealthy food doses but are free to circulate as long as they have a BPOM permit," he continued.

Currently, technical rules regarding healthy food products are being studied. These policies include the possibility of implementing excise duty on fast food products, the nutritional size rules contained in food/packaged drinks, special labeling of food/drinks that contain high GGL content, and so on.

Rahmad hopes that the study can be completed soon so that the technical rules can be implemented quickly. According to him, ensuring that children eat healthy foods is a joint task of all elements.

"This is not only the duty of the Government, the DPR, school traders or home food businesses. But keep in mind, this rule is also about the responsibility of industrial groups who control the food/packaging market or just quickly," explained Rahmad.

Commission IX of the House of Representatives also supports the regulation in PP 28/2024 regarding ready-to-eat food that will be subject to excise duty with the aim of controlling the consumption of sugar, salt and fat (GGL) to reduce non-communicable diseases. Rahmad said the regulation could streamline changes in people's diet.

"This rule is good because in the UK, the Philippines, Mexico, and South Africa this rule has been used and it is proven that people are able to change the behavior of consuming healthier drinks," he explained.

Even so, Rahmad assessed that the rules regarding excise collection could not necessarily be carried out for micro business actors such as mobile food traders. According to him, a two-sided approach is needed when it comes to small traders.

For traders times five, not the friendlyness of BPOM. The regulatory approach is not enough. It still has to be promoted and preventive through campaigns and education about healthy living. GGL's content in food and drinks sold is reminded so as not to overdo it," said Rahmad.

Through the same rules, the Regional Government is also obliged to supervise food/drinking products for small traders. Rahmad asked the local government to optimize it through education and socialization.

"All parties. Yes, the government from the center, local government, as well as the community itself. It does take a process to change healthy living behavior but must start through the rules and campaign movements to the community," he said.

Started through the rules for controlling foods that contain sugar, salt and fat. But society is also important to participate in. That way we can achieve better health goals for future generations," concluded Rahmad.