House urges ministry, BPOM, IPB to name contaminated milk brands

The House of Representatives’ health commission has urged the Health Ministry, the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) and researchers from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) to disclose to the public the brands of bacteria-contaminated infant formula milk products.
 
A member of the House’s Commission IX overseeing health, labor and social issues, Rieke Dyah Pitaloka from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), said in a hearing on Thursday that the government had to comply with a Supreme Court order instructing that the brands be made public.
 
The court previously issued a verdict obliging the ministry to reveal the list of milk brands in print and electronic media.
 
“I am urging the ministry to disclose the list, not only to companies but also the general public. Otherwise, [the ministry] will be in violation of the law. The public has the right to be informed,” Rieke said.
 
A number of attendees of the hearing demanded Health Minister Endang Sedyaningsih, the BPOM and the IPB researchers reveal the list before the end of the hearing.
 
IPB researchers found that 22.7 percent of 22 baby formula samples in circulation between 2003 and 2006 contained Enterobacter sakazakii, which has been associated with life-threatening infections such as meningitis.
 
However, IPB’s School of Veterinary Science dean I Wayan Teguh Witawan refused to comply, saying that his institution would disclose the list only after receiving a copy of the court’s verdict.
 
Endang and BPOM representatives told the hearing that they did not have the list.