Food wrapping paper have to be standardized

 

JAKARTA. The government will require food wrapping paper producers to comply with the Indonesia’s National Standard (SNI). However, “We have not made similar regulations for shops or stores that use food wrapping papers,” said Secretary General of Ministry of Industry Syarif Hidayat.

Some factors have led the government to make the requirement. First, food wrapping papers have been massively used. Second, the government has to protect domestic paper industry. “We are preventing the imports of low quality products,” Syarif said.

However, that government’s plan is still being reviewed by National Standardization Agency (BSN). "The quality infrastructures, such as examination laboratory and the certification agency must exist first," said Head of Agriculture, Food and Health at BSN Wahyu Purbowasito.

Furthermore, BSN is assessing the impacts of the regulation to public, as well as the food wrapping industry participants.

Gappmi resisting

Wahyu said, health, security, and enviroment factors are the main reasons to comply with SNI. According to Wahyu, the SNI will reduce the possibility of disputes.

General Chairma of the Association of Indonesia’s Pulp and Paper (APKI) Ariya Warga Dalam requested the government to consider the readiness of industries before applying the regulation. According to Ariya, the number of foodgrade paper producers in Indonesia is not significant.

Most of the industries produce converter paper, which is coated with plastic. "The paper is not foodgrade, but became foodgrade, as coated with plastic," he said.

Meanwhile, General Chairman of Indonesian Food and Beverage Business Association (Gapmmi) Adhi S Lukman disagreed with the standardization. “A regulation is made to comply with particular specification.This limits the creativity,” Adhi said.
(Muhammad Farid/Translator)