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Producers flout BPOM's under-5 child ban in condensed milk ads
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Sweetened condensed milk (Shutterstock/ElRoi)
T
he National Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has said that several producers of sweetened condensed milk had ignored a BPOM circular that prohibits them from broadcasting advertisements that stars children under 5 years of age.
BPOM head Penny Lukito stressed that such ads did not accurately reflect the nutritional content of sweetened condensed milk.
“We do not allow children under five years old to star in [condensed milk] advertisements,” she said at a press conference on [DAY], as quoted by tempo.co, adding that such ads had led many people to misunderstand the nutritional content of the products.
The press conference was held to respond to public controversy over the product.
Penny said that the product was not recommended for young children because it was largely composed of sugar, while milk was merely a minor ingredient.
She said the BPOM had issued a circular that provided guidelines to producers and distributors of condensed milk on labeling and advertising the product, in lieu of a BPOM regulation that was currently being drafted with relevant stakeholders.
Meanwhile, Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers Association (Gapmmi) secretary-general Adhi S. Lukman admitted that several misleading ads existed, like the one that showed a boy growing taller after consuming sweetened condensed milk.
He said that the producer had withdrawn the advertisement after the PBOM issued the circular. (bbn)
