BPOM Optimistic Indonesian Processed Food Products Reach Saudi Arabian Market

The visit of the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA/BPOM Saudi Arabia) to the Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) in Jakarta, Monday (4/9/2023). BETWEEN/HO-BPOM

JAKARTA - The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) is optimistic that Indonesia's processed food products will be able to penetrate the Saudi Arabian market after the collaboration between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA/BPOM Saudi Arabia).

In this collaboration, it is stated that the quality and safety of medicines and food, one of which is related to the ease of access (ease of access) for food products from Indonesia for pilgrims and Umrah in the Holy Land.

"As an international competent authority (NCA) for exporting food products to Saudi Arabia, BPOM would like to thank you for the arrival of the SFDA in the context of audit visits to the fish processing unit (UPI) as well as the NCA office," said Deputy for Food Control at BPOM, Rita Endang, as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, September 6.

Rita said BPOM guarantees that all food products exported by Indonesia have met the highest safety and quality standards.

This, he said, was realized in terms of food security supervision, where Indonesia had adopted international rules such as the Codex Alimentarius Guideline.

One of the destinations for the visit of the SFDA delegation, he continued, was the inspection site, namely the Fish Quarantine Laboratory and six UPI facilities located in West Java, Central Java, and East Java, as well as a fish pond located in East Java.

"The six UPIs are ready to export to Saudi Arabia and have received recommendations from the Verification Committee Team in the context of issuing food export recommendations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and have met the standards and criteria set by the SFDA," said Rita Endang.

Rita mengungkapkan Tim Komite terdiri dari inspektor NCA (BPOM), Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan (KKP), dan para ahli yang telah melakukan pemeriksaan dokumen proses produksi dan memastikan penerapanguidelineSFDA, standar Internasional hazard analisis dan critical control points(HACCP), dan good manufacturing practice(GMP) telah diterapkan dengan baik oleh seluruh UPI yang akan dikunjungi.

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Rita mengatakan Indonesia telah membentuk sistem keamanan pangan terpadu yang mencakup seluruh aspek produksi pangan, mulai dari pangan segar asal fish, tanaman dan hewan hingga pangan olahan, sesuai dengan Undang-Undang (UU) Nomor 18 Tahun 2012 tentang Pangan.

"This integrated food safety system ensures that all food products are safe and of high quality. This food safety control system is also integrated from upstream to downstream (from farm to table) and involves related ministries/agencies," he said.

On this occasion, one of the SFDA Delegations present, Mohanad Alkaldi, stated that his visit was not to evaluate, but to increase mutual understanding between the two parties.

"SFDA appreciates the system in Indonesia that has been well organized and has exported domestic products to many countries," said Mohanad Alkali.

The SFDA also highlighted several discussions related to the mechanism for monitoring fishery and marine products from cultivation to exportation, the monitoring mechanism between the KKP and BPOM, actions on findings of discrepancies, disease in fish, surveillance of fishery and marine products, degenerately modified organizations (GMO) and radiation.