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Judul : Two factories caught adding formaldehyde to tofu: BPOM
Nama Media : antaranews.com
Tanggal : 6/11/2022
Halaman/URL : https://en.antaranews.com/news/233593/two-factories-caught-adding-
formaldehyde-to-tofu-bpom
Tipe Media : Media Online

The National Agency of Drug and Food
Control (BPOM) has caught two tofu
factories in Waru and Waru Kaum
Villages, Bogor District, West Java, using
formaldehyde in tofu production.

“The utilization of the dangerous
substance of formaldehyde in food
production (by the factories) is a major
finding," BPOM Head Penny K. Lukito,
accompanied by officials from West Java
Police and the Bogor district authority,
said in a press conference at the factory in
Waru Kaum Village on Friday.

From the two tofu factories, which have a
combined production capacity of 120 million pieces of tofu per month, the food control agency seized
60 kilograms of liquid formaldehyde and 38 kilograms of formaldehyde powder.

The BPOM and local police also confiscated at least 1,500 units of finished products that were ready
for market distribution and suspended operations at the factories, she informed.

The owners of the two factories, identified by their initials as S, aged 35, and N, aged 45, were named
suspects in the case, she added.

"According to our food safety law, (the suspects) could be charged with five years of prison or Rp10-
billion (US$690 thousand) fine for using a dangerous substance as a food ingredient," Lukito said.

The BPOM head then expressed her disappointment that factories are continuing to use dangerous
substances in food despite the monitoring of food factories being intensified in ten provinces since
earlier this year.

She highlighted that the government has banned the use of formaldehyde in food production since 2016
and allowed the substance to be used only in non-food production sectors, such as wood production
and as an embalming agent.