Indonesia’s system of food regulation is based on:

• National standards including mandatory standards for selected products
• Sanitary / phytosanitary inspection of primary products
• Registration of processed food products by a specially constituted authority—the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (BPOM)
• Food labelling regulations.

National standards
National standards, which are the responsibility of the National Standards Agency (BSN), are generally optional, but three products are the subject of mandatory standards: wheat flour, salt, and raw sugar. Wheat flour and salt are required to include specified nutritional supplements, while the standard for raw sugar is directed at preventing the sale of raw sugar for direct consumption, as distinct from further processing.

When the standard is mandatory, the Indonesian National Standards (SNI) mark must be carried on labelling.

Indonesia is a member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

Sanitary and phytosanitary regulations
BPOM, which is an arm of the Ministry of Health, must test all processed food products and is also responsible for labelling and the issue of registration numbers (MLs) for imported food products (see below).

Control of imported fresh products, including fruit and vegetables, and meat is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture (Pertanian)—except for marine products, which are handled by the Maritime and Fisheries Ministry.

Phytosanitary requirements for imports of agricultural and food products (selected)

Before exporting any agricultural or fisheries products to Indonesia, exporters should consider and check through their importer in Indonesia whether Indonesian authorities require any government certification.

The Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS) provides inspection and, where required, government-to-government export certification for a number of agricultural and fisheries exports, e.g. meat (including game, poultry and rabbit), dairy products, fish (including crocodile meat), eggs and egg products, dried fruit, mung beans, grains, plants and plant products, processed fruit and vegetables, fresh fruit and vegetables and products labelled as organic.

Other products, e.g. pasta, breakfast cereals and confectionery, are generally exported without AQIS export certification because countries importing these products, including Indonesia, do not require any government-to-government certificates. Should an exporter be informed that a government certificate is required for imports into Indonesia of products not regulated by AQIS, AQIS may still be able to help.

In late 2002, a Presidential Decree provided for the imposition of quarantine fees on import, export and inter-island movements for a range of domestic and imported agricultural products. At the time of writing, implementing regulations had not been issued by the Ministry of Agriculture.