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BPOM asks the public to limit the consumption of Muscat grapes amid the investigation – Markets
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BPOM asks the public to limit the consumption of Muscat grapes amid the investigation – Markets

The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) has asked people to temporarily limit their consumption of Shine Muscat grapes while authorities conduct an investigation prompted by reports from Thai officials of dangerous levels of contaminants in samples of the imported fruit.

BPOM chief Taruna Ikrar said in a statement on Wednesday that officials are examining samples of the seedless grape variety in laboratories across the country to determine if they contained dangerous substances. Kompas reported.

Taruna said a day earlier that the agency had not yet received reports of sample contamination, but would communicate with relevant ministries and agencies, including the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indonesian Quarantine Agency. bisnis.com reported.

If authorities found dangerous chemicals in or on the grapes, he said, the product would be recalled from the Indonesian market.

Thai authorities announced on October 24 that laboratory tests had found high levels of pesticide residues in 23 out of 24 grape samples collected in and around Bangkok.

The Thai Pesticide Alert Network said in a statement that it had determined that nine of the samples came from China, but could not identify the origin of the others.

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Indonesia is China’s third largest export destination for fresh and dried grapes, buying 83,541 tonnes last year, about 68% of total national consumption. It was trailed only by Thailand, which imported 122,704 tonnes from China, and Vietnam, which imported 114,611 tonnes, according to data from the International Trade Center.