Supervision of Processed Food Packaging

The Head of the National Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has issued Regulation No. HK.03.1.23.07.11.6664 of 2011 on Food Packaging Supervision (“Regulation”), in order to protect society from food packaging that does not meet food safety requirements. The Regulation regulates prohibited materials, permitted materials, and materials that require prior safety assessments before being used for food packaging (Articles 2 and 3).

A list of materials that are prohibited from being used as food packaging is stipulated in the Appendix 1 of the Regulation, which is an integral part of the Regulation. These materials include (i) food contact substances in plastic food packaging such as coloring substances, stabilizers, antioxidants, and curing agents; (ii) prohibited materials contained in the ink that is printed directly on the packaging; (iii) food contact substances such as lead solders in metal food packaging, Mercaptoimidazoline and 2-mercaptoimidazoline in rubber food packaging, and tin-coated lead foil in glass food packaging.