Jakarta – The House of Representatives rebuked on Thursday the Ministry of Health for refusing to share responsibility for the widespread use of harmful preservatives, such as formaldehyde, in various basic foods.

Such additives were used in food well before the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) was separated from the ministry in 2001, House Commission IX on health said.

However, Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari said the agency was to blame, arguing that her office no longer had the authority to monitor the safety of food being sold in markets.

BPOM became an independent government agency during the Abdurrahman Wahid administration, and was ordered by his successor Megawati Soekarnoputri to monitor the use of food additives.

Commission head Ribka Tjiptaning said finger pointing by the two institutions would simply exacerbate the problem, and that lawmakers would summon their representatives to clarify the issue after the House reconvened on Jan. 16.

"The two should instead complement each other, as well as seek cooperation from other ministries, such as the trade ministry, to monitor the supply of harmful chemical substances," said Ribka, a legislator from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Commission IX deputy chairman Charles Mesang of the Golkar Party said the use of formaldehyde and other dangerous preservatives should be monitored more strictly.

"That's where coordination with the trade ministry, for example, could come in as the use of such substances cannot be completely banned but they can be strongly monitored," he said. No monitoring suggestions were given.

The House also urged the government to come up with safe food preservatives that were as widely available and reasonably priced as formaldehyde.