BPOM Finally Acts Against Hazardous Snacks At Schools by Fardah

      Jakarta, Jan. 14, 2010 (ANTARA) - It is surely a great relief for parents when they read news on steps being taken by the Drug and Food Supervision Agency (BPOM) to stop the sale of snacks containing hazardous chemical substances at or near schools.
        Even parents who are aware of the risk of consuming food or drinks sold by hawkers, are helpless when their children, tempted by the colorful snacks and beverages on offer at or near their eschools, do so.
        The best they can do is tell their children not to buy colorful snacks and beverages, but children's other favorite snacks like 'mie bakso' (meatball and noodle soup), crackers and fried tofu might also contain hazardous substances.

        A number of children's snacks sold at many schools in a number of cities contain hazardous chemical substances such as borax, textile color dyes and formaldehyde.
        BPOM officers in Semarang, Central Java, recently discovered snacks containing hazardous substances for sale at a number of schools there. Semarang's BPOM spokesman Supriyanto Utomo said officers using a special liquid and ultraviolet light, found out that noodles and crispies sold at several elementary schools in Semarang contained formaldehyde and textile dye such as Rhodamin B.

        In Yogyakarta, the local BPOM found out that 40 percent of the snacks sold in schools contain artificial sweeteners and coloring substances.

        "Food that is mixed with saccharin and coloring agents is unhealthy and hazardous to health," regulation and human resource management division head at the Yogyakarta Health Office Tuti Setyowati said in Yogyakarta on Wednesday, as reported by the Jakarta Post.

        Consuming saccharin on a long-term basis would have a negative impact on people's health because it could cause migraine and headaches, memory loss, insomnia, irritation and could trigger cancer.

        Earlier this month, similar findings were revealed by BPOM in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. At state-run elementary school SDN 2 Mataram agency officers found Popsicles containing coloring agents for textiles and borax and formaldehyde in noodle products and flour balls locally known as 'cilok'.

        In Jakarta, BPOM Chief Husniah Rubiana Thamrin Akib accompanied Health Minister Endah Rahayu Sedyaningsih when inspecting a mobile laboratory supervising snacks at school, at Menteng Dalam 02 elementary school on Tuesday (Jan. 12).

        "We have checked snacks at 4,500 elementary schools. We have not recapitulated the results, but the results are varied, between three percents and 20 percents of the snacks contain hazardous chemical substances," Husniah said.

        Borax or borax acid is antiseptic used for detergent and if eaten, it could cause digestion problem, diarrhea, and kidney damage, she said. However, borax is often used to make meatball, fresh noddle and crackers.

        Formaldehyde is chemical substance usually used for disinfectant and plywood adhesive as well as disinfectant. However, it is also sometimes used to preserve tofu and fresh noddle. Formaldehyde could cause diarrhe, headache, level, brain and cardiac damages.

        Synthetic dyes for textile, Rhodamin B (red) and Methanil Yellow are often used in making sauce, crackers and cakes. It might harm digestive system and lever's function.

        BPOM was trying to deal with the problem by operating mobile laboratories to check snacks being offered at schools, Husnia said.

        The mobile's laboratory operators took samples of the snacks and then briefed school managers and snack traders, she said. BPOM now has 22 mobile laboratories being operated in six cities, namely Serang, Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Bandung and Jakarta.

        "The ideal number should be 140 mobile laboratories to serve all provinces, but we don't have adequate funds," she said.

        BPOM jointly with the national education ministry also gave guidance to school's canteens, including the Menteng Dalam 02 elementary school which was twice visited by BPOM's mobile laboratory.

        The elementary school has assigned a teacher to supervise the school's canteens, which are not allowed to sell food using synthetic dyes, preservatives, and MSG. However, outside the school's yard, there are still some vendors selling colorful beverages, cereals and fried snacks.

        It seems that school children's snack problem has also become a concern of UNESCO. UNESCO 's Jakarta Office has supported a program of environmentally friendly elementary schools and revitalization of elementary school canteens in Jakarta.

        The program has been implemented since July 2009 by involving around 50 elementary schools in Jakarta, according to Nuning Wirjoatmodjo, the program's coordinator, here on Tuesday.

        State elementary schools SDN 01 in Gambir (Central Jakarta) and SDN 01 in Pasar Minggu (South Jakarta) have been appointed pilot projects for the program, which includes trainings for trainers in integrated waste management and nutrition.

        Food sold in Indonesian school canteens in general does not meet health standards, according to Andang Widhawari Gunawan ND, a nutritionist, when speaking at a workshop on school canteen revitalization and climate change sponsored by UNESCO Jakarta Office at environmentally friendly kampong Banjarsari, Cipete, South Jakarta,last December 2009.

        Quite a number of children were suffering from diseases such as cancer, diabetes and high cholesterol which are supposed to be found only in adults, she said.

        Andang Gunawan called on the government, in this case BPOM, the health ministry and the education ministry, to take serious steps to stop completely the selling of the hazardous snacks and beverages at and near schools. (F001/A/HAJM/B003) 2. 14:50. (T.F001/A/F001/B003) 14-01-2010 16:52:16