PORK-TAINTED DRIED BEEF CIRCULATING IN INDONESIAN MARKET

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, April 18 (ANTARA) - The regional governments are called on to withdraw from the market pork-tainted dendeng (beef jerkey) and abon (shredded fried meat) products and to take action against their producers.

        "It is the regional governments who have the power to withdraw, destroy and revoke the business licenses of producers of port-tainted beef jerkey and shredded fried meat circulating in the market," Drug and Food Administration Agency (BPOM) Chairperson Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib said.

        Authorities have discovered that five companies selling dendeng and abon have been using pork instead of beef in their products which are not alllowed for consumption (haram) based on the Islamic law.

        The pork-tainted products were found in the provinces of Jambi, Jakarta, Central Java (Semarang), East Java (Surabaya) and West Java (Bogor and Bandung).

        "After conducting DNA tests on 35 samples collected from traditional markets across the country, we discovered that five of them were made from pork instead of beef," Husniah Runiana Thamrin Akib said.

        The products came from Kepala Sapi (producer is unknown), Limas (by Lenggang, a fictitious producer in Salatiga), A.C.C (producer is unknown), Beef Jerkey Lezaaat (MDC Food of Surabaya) and 999 (produced by S Hendropurnomo in Malang). Lezaaat even put a 'halal' (allowed for Moslems) label on its pack.

        Husniah said that the production and circulation of the product were found in the regions so that it would be easy for the regional governments to investigate and take action against their producers.

        "Some of the beef labeled pork-tainted products did not put the names of their producers and their addresses are unclear," she said.

        The BPOM has conducted the DNA test on the products following complaints lodged by consumers that pork dendeng and abon have been circulated in the market which were sold with a beef label.

        Director General for Islamic Mass Guidance Affairs H. Nasaruddin Umar will coordinate with the relevant agencies to take firm actions against the producers which deliberately deceived consumers in a country of predominantly Muslim popoulation.

        After a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, BPOM, the Ministry of Health, the Indonesian Consumers Institute Foundation (YLKI), Nasaruddin Umar stressed they would take legal actions and withdraw the products from the market.

        "We have fielded a team from the relevant agencies to investigate the cases," he said adding that it turned out that the products were truly tainted with pork.

        Police have also launched investigation on the alleged sales of pork jerkey and shredded fried meat sold with a beef label following uproars which created public unrest in a number of regions such as Bogor, West Java, and Malang in East Java.

        The BPOM in Jakarta asked its regional branches in Surabaya, Bandung, Jakarta, Semarang, Jambi and Bogor to conduct the tests. And it turned out that samples tested showed they were tainted with pork.

        "I can imagine how furious the public, particularly Muslims, would be once they found out that they have been deceived all the time," Husniah said.

        She said that PPOM was only authorized to issue recommendations for the regional government to withdraw products, destroy them and punish the producers.

        "We have sent the recommendation letters to city administrators asking them to conduct raids and withdraw the pork dendeng," Husniah was quoted by the Jakarta Globe as saying.

        The municipalities could charge the businesses with violating the Consumer Protection Law, which carries a jail term of up to five years and a Rp2 billion fine.

        Tien Gartini Budhianto of BPOM said meanwhile that the government was expected to conduct a thorough laboratory test on all dendeng and abon products that are circulating in the country. "We will conduct a test on all beef jerkey and shredded dried meat, the results of which would be announced to the public later on. The tests would be conducted not only in Jakarta but also in 26 provinces," Tien Gartini Budhianto said.

        In principle, all relevant parties must play their respective roles to ensure that a product is safe for consumers. "It is not our domain to decide whether or not a product is halal or haram. But we have a cooperation body which would coordinate with the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI)," Tien said.

        In the meantime, Turni Rusli Sjamsuddin of the Agriculture Ministry said that his side last year cooperated with the MUI in providing a halal certificate for animal slaughterers.

        "All animal slaughter houses in Indonesia must slaughter cows or other animals based on the halal principles if their meat is to be circulated in the market," he said. (T.A014/H-NG/A/H-YH) 18-04-2009 00:20:14