Street food in Jakarta can be equal parts delicious and dangerous. There have been many stories recently about street vendors (PKL) selling food found to have been mixed with toxic substances such as formaldehyde, even on famous eat streets such as Jalan Sabang where one would expect standards to be higher.
In the hopes that we can once again chow down on street food with peace of mind, Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama wants all PKL that sell food in the capital to be certified by the Institute for Drug and Food Control (BPOM) to make sure they are not using any toxic ingredients.
“Those most affected by this in Jakarta have liver cancer, because their food was made carelessly. That is why I say, all [food products] should have to register their businesses with BPOM,” Ahok said after reviewing the Benhil Hawker Center on Saturday, as quoted by Kompas.
The governor said that In Jakarta alone, as much as 10 percent of all food sold contains harmful substances.
He also said the city government has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BPOM to have all food products made by PKL tested in a laboratory. If the results of the tests are clean, then the PKL can obtain a certification from BPOM.
“So we will continue our efforts. We want to tell the people of Jakarta that snack on street food, do not buy from PKL that do not have a certificate from BPOM. This will help us because people will stop buying from vendors who still make food with chemicals and they will be forced to sell food with good ingredients,” Ahok said.
Ahok added that PKL who do not have a certificate from BPOM will eventually be banned from the streets. The plan is for this policy to come into effect next year, so that by the time Ramadan 2016 rolls around, people can feel safe while buying from vendors.
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