Indonesian Food and Drug Authority Regulation (Peraturan BPOM) No. 13 of 2023 — Food Categories

Indonesian Food and Drug Authority Regulation (Peraturan BPOM) No. 13 of 2023, issued by the Indonesian Food and Drug Authority (BPOM), establishes a new food category system that forms the basis for safety, quality, nutrition and labelling standards for processed food in Indonesia. It replaces BPOM Regulation No. 34 of 2019. It matters for the vegetable oil industry because cooking oil and other vegetable oil-based products fall within its fats and oils category.

Key points

• Every business that produces or imports processed food in retail packaging must meet the food category requirements set out in Annex I.
• The food categories comprise 16 groups; category 02.0 covers fats, oils and oil emulsions, which is relevant to the vegetable oil and palm oil industry.
• Food categories are the basis for rules on the use of food additives, processing aid residues, contaminants, claims and nutrition information on products.
• Food categories or raw materials not listed in Annex I and Annex II may only be used with the written approval of the Head of BPOM, following a safety, quality and nutrition assessment.
• Processed food products that already hold a marketing authorisation must comply with the new rules no later than 30 months after promulgation (the regulation was promulgated on 6 June 2023).
• The regulation revokes BPOM Regulation No. 34 of 2019 on Food Categories.

Who it affects

Any person or business that produces and/or imports processed food in retail packaging, including producers of cooking oil and vegetable oil-based products.