TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of National Drug and Food Agency (BPOM) Jakarta Dewi Prawitasari said her agency is conducting impromptu inspections to some locations since the first day of Ramadan. As a result, from 18 places examined, all resulted positive in using hazardous substance. One of the locations inspected in North Jakarta is Kelapa Gading Mall. “We discovered four foods in the food court,” Dewi said Tuesday, June 30.
In Kelapa Gading Mall Food Court, the agency examined 19 food samples, and resulted in 4 foods containing harmful substances. Those four foods are kue mangkuk pink containing Rhodamine-B. “And also white cupcakes, cassava cake, and red candil containing borax,” said Dewi.
Dewi explained Rhodamine-B is used for coloring, textiles and papaers. Whereas borax is for preserving wood, glass making, and fertilizers. “Indigestion would be experienced when consumed and can cause cancer.”
According to Dewi, from the testimonies of the sellers, some say they do not know that their foods contained harmful substances. Some of them deliberately mixed the hazardous substance when cooking their food.
General Manager Corporate Communication PT Summarecon Agung, Cut Meutia, said her side has not recieve information concerning the impromptu inspection from BPOM.
“We will dealt firmly with food stalls that are using borax and rhodamine-B,” she said.
HUSSEIN ABRI YUSUF
