Antara, Jakarta – Environment Minister Hanif Faisol Nurofiq said on Wednesday that his ministry has dispatched a team to investigate the alleged radioactive contamination of cloves flagged by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The FDA recently reported traces of Cesium-137 (Cs-137) in cloves exported by Natural Java Spice, prompting the agency to block all imports from the company. The case emerged only weeks after US authorities returned shipments of frozen shrimp from Indonesia over similar findings.
"We have deployed a team today and will conduct a field visit on Saturday together with the Industry Minister and other relevant agencies," Hanif told reporters on the sidelines of World Lake Day in Jakarta.
Cs-137 is a radioactive substance that comes from nuclear activities. It can be dangerous because it gives off radiation that harms the body and increases the risk of cancer if swallowed or breathed in. It can stay in the environment for around 30 years.
Hanif stressed that Indonesia is taking the matter seriously. "This is not something we take lightly. We will handle it with prudence to ensure both public safety and the integrity of our trade, without creating unnecessary panic," he said.
The government earlier set up the special task force after the shrimp contamination case in August, which led to the sealing of a facility at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate in Serang, Banten. Authorities have since carried out decontamination efforts, arranged for temporary storage of Cs-137 waste, and provided medical checks for nearby residents.
Chief Food Affairs Zulkifli Hasan previously assured that the radioactive contamination issue was confined to the Cikande industrial zone and did not spread to Indonesia's broader supply chain or export markets.
Initial investigations found the contamination source at Peter Metal Technology (PMT), a steel plant in Cikande that processes scrap metal. The radiation is believed to have spread through airborne particles.