BPOM Investigates Ingredients in Canned Fish

To protect consumers and businesspeople, the BPOM will investigate the ingredients used in domestic and imported canned mackerel in the production facilities in their countries of origin and do tests on larger samples.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – The finding of parasitic worms in a number of brands of domestic and imported canned mackerel is harmful for the people as well as for fish processing businesses. To protect consumers and businesspeople, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) will investigate the ingredients used in these canned foods in the production facilities in their countries of origin and do tests on larger samples.

BPOM head Penny K. Lukito said the agency would expand its tests to other canned mackerel, especially those with ingredients imported from China. The agency would notify Chinese authorities of its findings and request stricter export of processed fish ingredients to Indonesia.

“There are more than 66 registered brands of canned mackerel in Indonesia. Many of them use imported raw ingredients. We will expand our tests to include other brands to make [our tests] are more representative and to better protect the people,” Penny said in Jakarta on Friday (30/3/2018).