Baby Milk Still Safe for Drink Says Minister
Thursday, 28 February, 2008 | 17:49 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari has asked the general public not to panic or worry about consuming baby milk and food brands that are reported to contain Enterobacter Sakazakii bacteria.

This is because there are not any government's official reports yet that the baby milk and food brands are contaminated and forbidden to be distributed.

“There's no disease in the milk,” she said during the plenary session at the president's office.

Siti will ask the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB)'s research team for statements.

Currently, the Food & Drug Agency (BPOM) is examining the respective products.

“The companies will also be checked,” she said.

The IPB's research team stated that 22 percent of formula milks and 40 percent of baby food products were contaminated by Enterobacter sakazakii bacteria, on Monday (26/2).

This conclusion was the result of the research done between 2003 and 2006.

“The bacteria may cause infection to the intestine so that babies fall ill easily,” said Dr. Sri Estuningsih, an IPB researcher.

Siti said she assumed there were interests behind this research.

The reason is the research was not preceded by cases of babies suffering from diseases or diarrhea.

Siti pointed out that the research was financed by a German company.

Via telephone, Sri Estuningsih acknowledged the research was financed by, among others, Milk Science Institut, based in Germany, and the Education and Culture Service.

However, she stressed there was not even a small motive of business as regards the research.

“I have sworn always to act justly, professionally and responsibly.”

The Indonesian Doctors Association (IDI) Chief, Professor Fahmi Idris, also criticized the IPB research team's conclusion.

This was because the research was only conducted on mice, so it can't be generalized for human beings.

“This is a cheap rumor, as if it already happened to human beings.”

Fahmi emphasized that the research should be proved through an epidemiology study, rather than through testing animals.

In the mean time, the research of IPB has not been proved to occur in human beings.

NININ D | AQIDA S | RIKY | DEFFAN P | ANGEL CP