Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Food Task Force of the National Police (Polri) has launched an investigation into MinyaKita, a subsidized cooking oil brand, after discovering discrepancies between the actual quantity of oil and the volume stated on the packaging.
Brigadier General Helfi Assegaf, head of the task force, told the media in Jakarta that the probe follows his team's findings during an inspection at Lenteng Agung Market in South Jakarta.
"After measuring samples from three different producers, we found that the actual oil content ranged between 700 and 900 milliliters, despite the packaging indicating one liter," Assegaf stated on Sunday.
He identified the implicated producers as PT Artha Eka Global Asia in Depok, West Java; Nusantara Cooperative in Kudus, Central Java; and PT Tunas Agro Indolestari in Tangerang, Banten.
The first two companies packaged their oil in one-liter bottles, while the third used two-liter pouches.
"Following the discovery, the Food Task Force of the Polri confiscated the evidence and decided to initiate further investigation," the police office stated.
On Saturday (March 8), Agriculture Minister Andi Amran Sulaiman conducted a surprise inspection at the market to verify reports of MinyaKita volume shortages.
He confirmed the discrepancies and emphasized that such practices were highly detrimental to the public and could not be tolerated.
Sulaiman called for immediate legal action and the closure of producers found guilty of cheating.
"Those proven guilty of violations should face closure and permit revocation. We cannot allow businesses to profit at the expense of the public," Sulaiman asserted.
The minister also called for stricter supervision systems to prevent similar issues in the future.
