Erfan Maruf, Jakarta – Laboratory tests have found that 93% of sampled rice products marketed as fortified rice failed to meet requirements, prompting the National Food Agency (Bapanas) to investigate the products and businesses behind the claims.

Bapanas chief Andi Amran Sulaiman said Thursday that the agency was investigating the findings, including products marketed as rice fortified with vitamins and minerals.

"We are still investigating, but based on laboratory results, 93% of the fortified rice we tested violated the requirements," Amran said in a written statement.

He said some products were being sold at significantly higher prices based on claims that they contained additional nutrients.

"For example, a product that costs Rp 13,500 is sold for Rp 40,000. Consumers are the ones who suffer," Amran said.

He said consumers could face financial losses if products sold at premium prices failed to contain the nutrients required for fortified rice.

"If the difference is Rp 20,000 or Rp 22,000 per kilogram, this is not profit. It is fraud," he said.

The findings are part of Bapanas' ongoing monitoring of rice products sold in Indonesia, including fortified rice and products marketed as being enriched with additional nutrients.

The agency has so far collected and examined 178 samples of fortified rice in 11 provinces. The monitoring has found potential violations involving labeling, product quality and nutritional content.

Laboratory testing is being used to determine whether the actual nutritional content of products matches the claims displayed on their packaging.

During monitoring of fortified and nutrient-enriched rice products in Jakarta in April, Bapanas identified several products for further inspection and laboratory testing.

The results showed that 93 percent of the samples tested did not meet the requirements for being marketed as fortified or nutrient-enriched rice.

The agency also found products being sold at prices significantly higher than conventional rice. In some cases, labels listed only two types of nutrients even though the products were marketed as nutrient-enriched rice.

Fortified rice is required to comply with Indonesian National Standard (SNI) 9372:2025 on fortified rice.

Under the standard, every 100 grams of fortified rice must contain at least 0.25 milligrams of vitamin B1, 0.25 to 0.38 milligrams of folic acid, 1.0 to 1.5 micrograms of vitamin B12, 3.50 to 5.25 milligrams of iron and 3.0 to 4.5 milligrams of zinc.

The standard also requires the nutritional content to correspond with information stated on product labels. Vitamin and mineral content must reach at least 80 percent of the amount declared on the label, while minerals such as iron and zinc must not exceed 120 percent of the labeled amount.

Bapanas said tighter monitoring was necessary because fortified rice is sold as a higher-value product based on claims of additional nutritional benefits.

Consumers, the agency said, are entitled to accurate information about the products they buy, including the nutrients and health benefits claimed on their packaging.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/93-of-fortified-rice-samples-fail-lab-tests-indonesia-food-agency-say