NFA Launches Mobile Laboratory Car For Fresh Food Safety Supervision

Head of the National Food Agency (Bapanas) Arief Prasetyo Adi. (Photo: Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The National Food Agency (Bapanas) provides 10 units of laboratory cars around food safety surveillance equipped with testing equipment as well as promotions for the safety and quality of fresh food.

This facility is used to support the operation of the Food Safety Competent Authority at the central/ OKKP-P and OKKP levels at the regional/OKKP-D level in carrying out fresh food safety supervision in the post market.

Head of Badanas Arief Prasetyo Adi revealed that the existence of this mobile laboratory is expected to support and increase post market supervision with more samples and wider coverage.

"Support for this facility is very much needed in all regions so it is hoped that the operation of fresh food security supervision in the field will run smoothly, quickly and also provide convenience for business actors," he said, quoted Monday, November 20.

Arief said that the mobile laboratory could increase the frequency of fresh food sampling in circulation and increase the response to rapid supervision and follow-up.

"This is a form of government presence in ensuring guarantees for the safety of fresh food in circulation, one of which is by conducting rapid tests directly at the location with a rapid test to find out the safe threshold for the content of pesticide residues and formalin tests on fresh food products," he explained.

Meanwhile, Deputy for the Diversity of Consumption and Food Safety Andriko Noto Susanto said mobile laboratory cars would be focused on supporting post market supervision at the center as OKKP-P and in 8 Provinces as OKKP-D, namely in Banten Province, East Java, West Java, DIY, Central Java, DKI Jakarta, South Sulawesi, and Lampung.

"In accordance with the food safety control roadmap for 2022-2024, the number of samples is targeted at 2240 (this number is less than 2021) samples in 2022 and becomes as many as 10000 samples by 2024," he said.

Andriko assessed that surveillance operational devices such as mobile laboratory cars equipped with surveillance infrastructure are needed.

"National Food Agency as the Food Safety Competent Authority is expected to have operational support in monitoring food security in the field, so as to increase public confidence in the fresh food security in circulation," he said.