ALLEGATIONS concerning the use of dangerous preservatives in Aoka and Okko bread, which have emerged in the last two weeks, cannot be treated lightly. The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) must carry out a comprehensive, rapid and transparent investigation. Looking back to the tragedy of the deadly cough syrup two years ago, a slow and secretive response from the BPOM will lead to immeasurable losses for consumers.

Aoka and Okko bread have come under the spotlight following the release of a document containing results from the SGS Indonesia laboratory tests. These tests in September 2023 found high levels of sodium dehydroacetate in samples of bread produced at Indonesia Bakery Family and Abadi Rasa Food factories.

This discovery is concerning. Sodium dehydroacetate is usually used in cosmetic products because it is an antibacterial and antifungal agent. But its safety as a food additive is still being questioned. The BPOM has not yet added it to the list of additives that can be used in food products.

The producers of Aoka and Okko have both denied using sodium dehydroacetate. Despite this, Abadi Rasa Food has temporarily halted production while waiting for the results of laboratory tests carried out privately by the company on all the ingredients of Okko bread.

Amid this confusing information, the BPOM has been acting secretively by not providing a satisfactory explanation. The regulator and monitor of food safety only said that it has recently tested samples of Aoka and Okko bread and claimed the results showed it was safe. The BPOM refused to provide details of these tests and said that tests carried out outside its laboratory cannot be trusted.

This conduct by the BPOM reminds us of the events of September 2022, when the Indonesian Association of Pediatricians revealed an anomalous rise in children suffering from acute kidney failure since the start of the year. At the time, the BPOM acted defensively and said that medicine in Indonesia was safe, despite the World Health Organization discovering indications of dangerous chemical contamination in cough syrup having caused similar cases in Gambia.

The government, including the BPOM, only investigated the cause of this mass acute kidney failure in a comprehensive and open fashion at the end of October. It was too late. More than 326 children died as a result of acute kidney failure proved to be caused by cough syrup produced by Afi Farma contaminated by ethylene glycol and diethylene glycol.

This mistake must not be repeated. Allegation of the use of sodium dehydroacetate in bread products is not some trivial incident. A number of studies have shown that high doses of preservatives in processed food can cause allergies, digestive disorders and even cancer. Because of the significant risk to consumer health, a number of nations have introduced strict regulations concerning the use of sodium dehydroacetate as a food additive.

The BPOM must carry out a thorough investigation into the Aoko and Okko bread. The two brands have flooded the market because they are cheap and last for a long time, two things that attract lower income consumers. People at this socioeconomic level are price sensitive and have little concern for food safety. The people who should be protected are now at the greatest risk of falling victim as a result of this potential contamination.