BPOM head Taruna Ikrar said the measures reflect Indonesia’s professional approach to assuring the U.S. and global markets of its commitment to food safety and its resolve to safeguard the country’s reputation.
“We will convince the US with data, not through apologies or denials,” Ikrar told reporters.
BPOM, he added, is working with the national Cesium-137 Task Force to conduct decontamination and a joint risk assessment with the FDA.
He said preliminary findings indicated that some of the contamination likely originated from iron raw materials imported from the Philippines.
“We will reimport those materials to ensure full compliance,” he said.
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Ikrar noted that the US FDA limits cesium-137 levels in food to 1,200 becquerels per kilogram (Bq/kg), while Indonesia applies a stricter standard of 500 Bq/kg.
“Out of 400 containers tested, only four showed traces, and even those were very low — just 68 Bq/kg,” he said.
The BPOM chief emphasized that the government remains committed to addressing the issue, which could impact Indonesia’s seafood and agricultural exports to the US and other trading partners.
“Saudi Arabia has already suspended imports of fresh shrimp from Indonesia,” he said, underscoring the urgency of restoring market confidence.
Ikrar compared the current situation to Japan’s 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, which caused widespread contamination of marine products and took a decade to resolve.
“It’s dangerous to let this go unchecked for years. But now we understand how to handle it — the first step is to convince our partners with transparent data and swift action,” he said.
BPOM said it will continue working with international regulators to ensure Indonesian food exports meet global safety standards and to rebuild trust in the country’s supply chains.
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Reporter: Mecca Yumna Ning Prisie
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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