BBPOM Semarang Finds Many Home Industry Snacks Without Expiration Dates

The Center for Drug and Food Control (BBPOM) Semarang, at the Gayamsari Market in Semarang, Monday (3/4/2023). (ANTARA)

The Semarang Center for Drug and Food Supervisory (BBPOM) found a number of snack products that were being sold in traditional markets that did not have a Domestic Industry (PIRT) permit and did not include an expiration date.

PIRT is a food or beverage security permit that is sold to meet food safety standards or distribution permits for processed food products produced by SMEs to be marketed locally.

"In the supervision of food products circulating, we found that there are some products that do not have a PIRT yet," said BBPOM examination officer Semarang Sumito after joint monitoring at the Semarang traditional market, as quoted by ANTARA Monday, April 3.

The joint monitoring of these commodities was carried out by the Semarang City Market Service together with the Semarang BBPOM to two traditional markets, namely the Gayamsari and Pedurungan Markets.

According to him, every MSME product must take care of PIRT as a permit issued by the local Health Office so that it meets the requirements to be circulated or traded.

"If it is made in Semarang, then the permit for PIRT to the Semarang City Health Office. In addition, quite a number of products also do not include an expiration date. Yes, because they do not understand," he said.

If you have submitted a PIRT, he said, producers will get education related to the writing of expiration dates in food products, making it easier for consumers who want to buy to find out product quality.

"I haven't submitted a PIRT yet, so I don't understand. He doesn't write an expiration date. If the household industry entrepreneur has applied for a permit, the writing procedure will be educated later," he said.

BBPOM continues to carry out periodic monitoring and coaching of all types of food, especially focusing on snacks or snacks ahead of Eid al-Fitr 1444 Hijriah.

"Because this is the momentum of Eid, the trend is'snack' (snacks). We focus on it. This is still coaching. Later, if coaching has been carried out, it will not immediately take care of licensing, goods should not be circulated," he said.

Head of the Semarang City Trade Office, Fajar Purwoto, regretted that many food products did not have an expiration date, so he appealed to the public to be careful in buying food for Eid.

"Input from BBPOM, there were a lot of (food products, ed.) that didn't have an expiration date. So we will carry out routine activities like this," he said.