Antara News·Indonesia·Monday, October 19, 2026 at 10:32 AM UTC

Indonesia guarantees safety of US-bound shrimp, spices

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Putu Indah Savitri, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian government has reaffirmed the safety and regulatory compliance of its shrimp and spice exports to the United States, backed by rigorous testing protocols and Shipment-Specific Certificates (SSCs).

The assurance comes as authorities officially concluded the emergency response phase for the Cesium-137 (Cs-137) radioactive contamination incident at the Modern Cikande industrial estate in Serang, Banten, on Monday.

The certifications are issued by the Agency for Marine and Fisheries Quality Control and Supervision (BPPMHKP) and the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM)—both of which are officially designated certification bodies recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA).

"This mechanism has become the new standard for meeting export requirements for the United States," Expert Staff to the Coordinating Minister for Food Affairs for Digital Transformation and Inter-Institutional Relations Bara Krishna Hasibuan said here on Monday.

The compliance framework follows proactive diplomatic efforts launched in November 2025 by the Cs-137 Task Force.

The task force engaged directly with the US FDA, the Department of Energy (DoE), US Customs, and major importer associations to guarantee the safety of Indonesian agricultural and seafood commodities.

As part of the verification process, the task force hosted an on-site US FDA delegation in May 2026. The delegation evaluated Indonesian certification bodies, processing facilities, and testing laboratories.

"As a result, the BPPMHKP and BPOM were deemed to substantially meet the certification requirements,” Bara noted, prompting the US FDA to maintain their official designation.

Between October 2025 and September 2026, Bara noted that the Marine Affairs and Fisheries (KKP) Ministry issued Cs-137-free certifications for 6,291 containers (95,438 tons) of shrimp, valued at Rp16 trillion (approximately US$933 million).

Furthermore, from November 2025 to September 2026, the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) issued Cs-137-free certifications for 835 shipments (1,235 containers) of spices, valued at Rp48 trillion (US$2.7 billion).

Bara confirmed that every single shipment accompanied by the specialized certification successfully entered the US market without a single rejection by American regulators.

"This underscores the commitment of the Task Force and the effectiveness of our certification system in ensuring food safety and the continued access of our exports to the United States," he noted.

The contamination scare originated from a smelting facility operated by PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), where radioactive material hidden within scrap metal vaporized during processing.

Airborne currents subsequently carried the particles to surrounding areas within the Cikande industrial estate.

Following comprehensive containment and remediation efforts, the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs declared the emergency response phase officially closed on Monday, October 19, 2026.

While the emergency phase has concluded, Bara emphasized that the Cs-137 Response Task Force will oversee ongoing follow-up measures to guarantee long-term safety in accordance with agency mandates.

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