Head Of Badanas Explains The Importance Of Maintaining Food Safety

Head of the National Food Agency (NFA) Arief Prasetyo Adi said food safety standards are very important to maintain the quality of life and competitiveness of local products in the international market.

"The government has a very big role in ensuring food safety, one of which is by preparing strong food safety standards," he said in an official statement, Wednesday, June 7.

Therefore, said Arief, the existence of food safety standards is very important to protect the quality of public consumption, besides that it also helps the business world improve product quality so that it can gain wider market access.

"The National Food Agency in accordance with the mandate of Presidential Decree Number 66 of 2021 has the authority to supervise security, quality, nutrition, labels and advertisements for fresh food, including the formulation of standard technical regulations, guidelines, code of practices, and SNI," he explained.

In the past year, Arief added, the National Food Agency has issued 3 regulations related to food safety standards. Among them, the Agency (National Food Agency Regulation) concerning Fresh Food Labels, Quality Requirements and Rice Labels, and Agency for Fresh Food Safety Management Systems implemented by Provincial Governments and Regency/City Regional Governments.

"Currently we are also discussing 2 other regulations. At the international level, the National Food Agency is also actively preparing international standards in the Codex Allimentarius forum," he said.

In addition, said Arief, to strengthen food security guarantees and supervision, at this moment of Food Safety Day, the National Food Agency also launched a Fresh Planted Food Information System (SIPSAT) which contains information base data on products that have passed food safety certification.

"SIPSAT can be accessed for free through the website of the National Food Agency. This portal can be a reference for the public in shopping for food products," he said.

Arief ensured that the enthusiasm of the regulations and information systems developed was not only to maintain the safety of consumer or public food consumption, but also to maintain product quality so that local producers were more competitive in international trade.

"In the future, we will continue to boost the implementation of regulations and food security information systems through a number of derivative programs targeting pre-market and post-market products," he said.

For the supervision of products that have been circulated, said Arief, one of them is by increasing the implementation of the rapid test of testing the residue content of pesticides and the formalin of fresh food in traditional and modern markets to measure and check fresh food labels.

"In order for massive implementation in all regencies/cities, we are working with the agencies that oversee food affairs," he said.