TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) ordered the withdrawal of Okko bread products from the market after finding sodium dehydroacetate as a food additive in the product.

According to an official statement by BPOM, the content of sodium dehydroacetate was detected through laboratory tests on bread samples produced by PT Abadi Rasa Food, Bandung.

"Regarding these findings, BPOM ordered Okko bread producer to withdraw the product from the market, destroy them, and report the results to BPOM," reads an excerpt from BPOM's official statement.

BPOM Regulation Number 17 of 2022, states that sodium dehydroacetate is a chemical element added to cosmetic products, with a maximum dosage limit of 0.6 percent as an acid.

The health hazard discovery occurred while BPOM carried out an inspection of Okko bread production facilities on July 2, 2024, and found that the producers were not implementing good processed food production methods (CPPOB) correctly and consistently.

Due to these findings, BPOM has stopped production activities and distribution of Okko bread products from the market. As a follow-up, BPOM also carried out sampling and testing in the laboratory.

Previously, a Tempo Magazine report entitled "Cosmetic Preservatives in a Slice of Bread," stated that the initial discovery of sodium dehydroacetate in Aoka and Okko breads was after the Borneo Chicken Bread and Noodle Association or Parimbo carried out laboratory tests on the two breads.

Parimbo Chairperson Aftahuddin explained that the testing was carried out after some members reported about bread products that didn’t turn moldy even a few months past the expiration date.

According to a number of his Parimbo colleagues, Aoka bread has been circulating in South Kalimantan since 2017. "It became even more massive during the Covid-19 pandemic," he said.

Aoka bread producer PT Indonesia Bakery Family has denied the allegations. “We want to emphasize that our bread does not use sodium dehydroacetate. A total of 16 of our products have received distribution permits from BPOM," said Head of Legal of Indonesia Bakery Family Kemas Ahmad Yani in an interview with Tempo, Wednesday, July 17, 2024, quoted from Tempo Magazine.

In line with Aoka bread, Okko bread producer, PT Abadi Rasa Food, also denied the allegation. Factory manager Jimmy said Okko bread can last a long while because it is produced in an international standard and sterile room, akin to a hospital operating room.

"The key is packaging," said Jimmy on Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

ANTARA

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