REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Ministry of Agriculture (Kementan) through the Agricultural Quarantine Agency (Barantan) said that until now there was no imported rice containing hazardous materials to Indonesia via legal import.

Related to the rice containing synthetic plastic material, Head of Law and Public Relations of Barantan, MM Eddy Purnomo said it was still waiting for other agencies to find clarity of plastic rice circulation.

"From January to May 2015, on the data we recorded there was no plastic rice coming in," he told Republika on Monday, May 25.

He continued, there were rice imports, but it was a special category, for example vermicelli rice, sticky rice and rice for diabetics. The rices came from Pakistan, India, Thailand, Myanmar and Japan. The prices were expensive and after it sorted, these items were completely harmless.

Eddy said therefore, Barantan will keep improving supervision and concentrate on the entrances at the port. "We are also waiting for the results from where the plastic rice. In the control, there were signing the quarantine body function assignment which placed at the entry point," he explained.

He also did not dismiss that Indonesia, with its long beach lines, is vulnerable to illegal imports. So if the presence of plastic rice is proven true, it is a whip for the government to be more serious in maintaining food safety.

Since the news about plastic rice were blown up, Barantan has made diverse efforts to improve oversight, which coordinate with the Ministry of Trade, in coordination with customs of Tanjung Balai Karimun, as well as coordinating with the UPT in regions.

Previously, Agriculture Minister, Andi Amran Sulaiman said that the plastic rice may not be favorable compared to the original rice, because the price is more expensive.

"In business it was impossible, plastic prices are 12 thousand IDR per kilogram, while rice prices are 7,300 per kilogram," said Amran Sulaiman on Monday, May 25.

According to him, there might be another agenda beyond the profit seeking that he himself did not know the exact motive of the plastic rice issue. He said that Ministry of Agriculture had conducted unannounced inspection to market related to the issue, so the issue will be resolved immediately.

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