Govt Waits for China`s Investigation on Worm-infested Mackerel
30 March 2018 14:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The government said the worm-infested canned mackerel products from China can be redistributed after it was recalled from the market if the brands can retain a parasite-free guarantee.
That sentiment was announced by Widodo Sumiyanto, the head of the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry's National Fish Quarantine, Quality Control and Fishery Product Safety Agency (BKIPM). “The guarantee can be granted to the products after China’s authority conducted an investigation related to the case,” said Widodo on Thursday, March 29.
Read: BPOM Pekanbaru Issued Recall Warning on Canned Mackerel
Widodo explained that the ministry has officially informed China’s government far before news of the recent parasite contamination case broke out. They sent the notice following information from the Indonesian Embassy in Peru that reported a similar case at the end of 2017.
That was when the Indonesian government sent an official notification to China. However, they have yet received any reply. “They would usually conduct an investigation first before replying to any official state-notification. So we’re currently still waiting.”
Read: List of 27 Worm-infested Mackerel Brands
According to Widodo, this case must be solved through state affairs and not just the producers. This is mainly because of the policy that acknowledges the equality of the legal system. In other words, Indonesia has trusted China’s mackerel producers to adhere to its laws.
“We conduct a state-to-state communication if anything else happens,” he said.
Previously on Wednesday, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) announced the 27 canned mackerel brands that had been infested by dead parasitical worms. The products were later found to be originating from China.
Dewi Nurita