Indonesia boosts food safety rules in over 6,000 tourism villages

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesia’s Tourism Ministry and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) have expanded their partnership to enforce stricter food safety standards across thousands of tourism villages nationwide, officials said Tuesday.

The joint initiative aims to bolster visitor confidence, elevate service standards, and enhance the commercial appeal of local destinations by integrating BPOM’s Food-Safe Village framework into national tourism programs.

“This synergy is a strategic step to ensure food safety becomes an inseparable part of tourism services, making tourism villages not only attractive to visit but also safe to enjoy,” Tourism Minister Widiyanti Putri Wardhana said in an official statement.

The agreement focuses on providing technical assistance and training for local communities in selecting, preparing, and producing safe culinary offerings.

More than 6,300 destinations registered on the ministry's Tourism Village Network (Jadesta) platform stand to benefit from the initiative.

Widiyanti emphasized that food safety has become a decisive factor for modern travelers seeking authentic community interactions and traditional regional cuisine.

She urged central authorities, local administrators, micro-enterprises, and residents to collaborate closely to deliver measurable improvements on the ground.

BPOM Head Taruna Ikrar highlighted the need to reshape public perception of the agency, moving beyond regulatory enforcement toward active education and business guidance.

“Food poisoning remains a public health challenge in many countries,” Taruna noted, stressing that targeted outreach in tourist hubs will help small businesses produce higher-value, compliant food products while protecting public health.

Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Martha Herlinawati Simanjuntak
Editor: Aditya Eko Sigit Wicaksono
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