Jakarta. The Health Ministry will collaborate with the Indonesian Quarantine Agency and the Agriculture Ministry to address pesticide contamination in Shine Muscat grapes imported from Thailand and Malaysia.

Health Ministry's spokesman Aji Muhawarman explained that health risks from pesticides vary depending on the type of chemical compound, the amount of residue, and the duration of exposure.

High and prolonged exposure to pesticides can lead to various health issues, including endocrine disruption and damage to liver and kidney functions, especially from systemic pesticides. These pesticides can be absorbed by plants and remain on the fruit even after washing, while nonsystemic pesticides generally only adhere to the surface and are easier to clean. However, both types can pose health risks with long-term exposure.

“Systemic pesticides are absorbed by plants and spread through the plant's tissues, so their residues can remain on the fruit or other parts of the plant even after washing,” he said Monday.

Aji urged the public to wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly, choose organic products, and check labels for information on origin and food safety certification. This is important to minimize health risks from pesticide residues. Additionally, he advised checking labels to identify the country of origin and food safety certification, which indicates the pesticide management practices used by the companies involved. “Choose organic fruit products that do not use pesticides or fruits that can be peeled before consumption,” he added.

Yusra Egayanti, Food Safety Deputy at the National Food Agency (Bapanas), emphasized the importance of regulations regarding maximum residue limits (MRLs) for pesticides in ensuring food safety.

"For grape commodities, we require a label stating 'wash before consumption.' This process is crucial for reducing the risk of residues or contaminants that may remain on the surface of the fruit," she said on Tuesday.

The Agriculture Ministry announced plans to inspect imported agricultural products, including the Shine Muscat grape variety, which has recently gained attention due to allegations of contamination with harmful substances or chemical residues.

Deputy Minister Sudaryono said that the Directorate General of Horticulture has been instructed to conduct inspections of the imported grapes.

Authorities in Thailand and Malaysia discovered chemical residues and pesticides in Shine Muscat grapes that exceeded safe limits. Following tests revealing that many samples contained harmful chemical residues above permissible levels, the Thai Pesticide Alert Network (Thai-PAN) issued an official warning about the contamination of Shine Muscat on Thursday.

The Thailand Consumer Council reported that 23 out of 24 samples of Shine Muscat grapes tested positive for contamination with harmful chemical residues. This situation has also prompted Malaysia to conduct inspections of Muscat grapes sold in their country.

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