BPOM ORDERS WITHDRAWAL OF CHINESE MILK PRODUCTS

Jakarta, Sept 23 (ANTARA) - The Drug and Food Controlling Agency (BPOM) on Tuesday ordered the withdrawal of Chinese dairy products from circulation in the domestic market.
"We want all food products containing milk from China withdrawn from circulation. We don't want to take any risk," BPOM Chief Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib said before a hearing with the House of Representatives (DPR).
The move was aimed at preventing the public from consuming Chinese dairy products following the recent find of melamine-contaminated formula milk in China that caused thousands of babies to become sick and some of them have reportedly died, she said.
In her letter to the Indonesian retailers association with a copy addressed to the Public Communication Center at the Health Ministry on September 23, the BPOM chief said 28 types of dairy products bearing 12 brands from China must be withdrawn for safety reason.
The letter urged members of the association to withdraw the food products from circulation, seal and report them to the agency.
The food products include yogurt bearing Jinwei Yoguoo brand and full cream bearing Guozhen brand.
She said the products would be withdrawn from circulation until the results of laboratory tests showed that they proved free from melamine or other hazardous substances.
She said the agency also had ordered its branches across the country to monitor the circulation of imported milk and milk products from China since September 18.
"But until now there has been no report on the find (of melamine-contaminated milk products)," she said.