Jakarta, Indonesia

The National Standardization Agency of Indonesia (BSN) acting as the Codex Contact Point of Indonesia, is advocating for a science-based approach to ensure food safety. "Effective food safety regulations should be based on strong scientific principles," stated Y. Kristianto Widiwardono, Acting Chairman of BSN, during the 2025 World Food Safety Day webinar on Tuesday 17 June 2025. "This science-based approach allows for the formulation of objective and measurable policies that align with the level of risk faced by consumers."

The webinar, themed "Leveraging Science to Support a Safe Food System," mirrored the global World Food Safety Day 2025 theme: "Food Safety: Science in Action." This theme emphasizes the crucial role of science and innovation in guaranteeing food safety and quality.

Kristianto further emphasized that food safety is a shared responsibility, echoing the sentiment, "Food safety is everyone’s business." He stressed that a safe food system can only be achieved through comprehensive efforts from all stakeholders across the food supply chain, from upstream to downstream. This collaborative approach forms the foundation for BSN's ongoing efforts to strengthen cross-sector synergy in establishing a robust and adaptive national food system resilient to various contamination risks.

Dr Allan Azegele, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, delivered a video message at the webinar, commending BSN for successfully organizing the World Food Safety Day commemoration. He urged all stakeholders to prioritize science-based approaches in their food safety assurance efforts. "Because when we put science in action, we save lives, we build trust, and we move closer to a world where safe food is a reality for all, not just a privilege for some," said Dr Azegele.

Hendro Kusumo, Deputy for Standard Development at BSN, affirmed BSN's readiness to support all stakeholders in addressing food safety challenges through standardization and conformity assessment activities. "Through standardization and conformity assessment, coupled with synergy and collaboration among institutions, we are ready to support government programmes and businesses to enhance the competitiveness of Indonesian food products in both domestic and global markets," Hendro stated.

Attended by over 300 participants, the webinar also featured prominent speakers from various sectors that are important to Indonesia’s national food chain. Prof. Ratih Dewanti-Hariyadi, Head of the Master of Food Safety Study Programme at Institut Pertanian Bogor (IPB) University, highlighted the vital role of higher education in enhancing food safety. She emphasized the need for developing human resources capable of solving food safety issues based on science and risk assessment. Elvira Indrawati, from the Technical Regulation Committee of the Indonesian Food and Beverage Producers Association (GAPMMI), explained how science can advance Indonesia's processed food industry, including through food reformulation for safer and healthier products. Lastly, Fitrah Gunadi from the Ministry of Agriculture presented on the role of innovation in food self-sufficiency policies that ensure food safety, such as optimizing land use, utilizing superior seeds, and implementing integrated pest and disease control in crops.

The insightful discussions, led by Prof. Purwiyatno Hariyadi from IPB University and former Vice-Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, drew participants from government, academia, businesses, and the general public, all committed to increasing awareness and fostering collaboration in ensuring food safety in Indonesia.

Through this initiative, BSN hopes that the science-based approach will increasingly become the cornerstone for national food safety policies and practices, ultimately improving public health through the availability of safe, healthy, and high-quality food.

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