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Batam BPOM raids illegal foreign products
The Riau Islands Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM) on Friday conducted raids on a number of grocery shops, supermarkets and stores selling Idul Fitri hampers which contained illegal food products made in Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea
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he Riau Islands Food and Drugs Monitoring Agency (BPOM)on Friday conducted raids on a number of grocery shops, supermarkets and storesselling Idul Fitri hampers which contained illegal food products made inSingapore, Malaysia and South Korea.
Hundreds of the products were not equipped with distribution permits.
BPOM Inspection Division head Muhammad Fadillah said during the raids, they found 16 food items, or 200 pieces of food products, such as chocolate bars, canned drinks, candies, bread and cakes without distribution permits.
'We confiscated all the products and will destroy them later because they lacked distribution permits. The food products came from Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea,' said Fadillah.
According to Fadillah, BPOM will charge the offenders with Law No. 16/2012 on food which carries a two-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp 2 billion (US$210,000).
However, BPOM would consider waving the charge if the distributors are cooperative and hand over all their goods to be destroyed.
'The amount of imported food products is quite huge. This year alone we have legally processed and charged three distributors for distributing food without permits. However, it has not had any deterrent effect' said Fadillah.
