Government Refuses to Reveal Brand of Milk with Bacteria
Wednesday, 05 March, 2008 | 18:29 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The government still will not reveal the brand of milk contaminated by Enterobacterer Sakazakii bacteria.

This is because the milk researched by the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) was milk produced in 2003 that is no longer in the market.

“I don't think this is necessary because it wouldn’t be fair on the milk producer, and it could make it difficult for people to obtain milk”, said the Minister of Health, Siti Fadilah Supari, at the Presidential office yesterday (4/3).

She was responding to the requirement of Seto Mulyadi, head of the National Commission on Children’s Protection (KPAI), for government to reveal the milk suspected to be assumed contaminated by Enterobacterer Sakazakii bacteria.

Regarding the commission's warning to sue the government for concealing the milk brand, Siti would only say, “I don't know”.

During a meeting with the Health Commission of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Association of Indonesian Veterinarians complained that the IPB research team –a team of veterinarians–did not have the right to research powdered milk and food for babies because veterinary science is related to diseases in animals and food for animals.

“There are 156 kinds of Zoonosi disease that can be transferred from animals to humans and visa versa,” said Wiwiek Bagja, Chairperson of Association of Indonesian Veterinarian in the meeting led by Ribka Tjiptaning, the commission head from the of Indonesian Democratic Party faction.

Bagja said he regretted there was suspicion of commercial or political interest in the research when it should be examined objectively and appreciated as a way to provide more protection to consumers.

Dr. Mangku Sitepu, a veterinarian, whose diploma is in milk hygienic from Denmark, mentioned during the same forum that only 40 babies in the entire world had ever been infected by Enteroboacterer Sakazakii bacteria.

“And these were babies born prematurely, under weight or from an HIV-infected mother”, said Sitepu, a member of the National Bird Flu Commission.

FANNY FEBIANA | Aqida Swamurti | Sudrajat