REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- State-owned logistics agency Perum Bulog said here on Saturday that no synthetic rice had been found in its warehouses across the country.
"We have instructed a check on more than 1,500 of Bulog's warehouses in the country. Thank God, there were no indications of synthetic rice there," Director of Business Development and Planning of Bulog Fajri Sentosa stated.
He added that he had instructed all staff members of Bulog's warehouses to be careful while conducting purchases, distribution and stocking, following reports on the circulation of synthetic rice.
He affirmed that he was calm as so far, Bulog has procured rice directly from farmers, due to which the risk of getting synthetic rice was minimum.
"Hopefully, our rice is not spoiled with synthetic rice. We will stay alert," Sentosa remarked at a discussion on the issue.
In view of that, he appealed to all parties to remain calm and patient and wait for the results of the investigation being carried out by the offices concerned.
"We know that the government and law enforcement authorities have acted. So we should give them an opportunity to investigate the case. The BPOM (National Food and Drug Supervisory Agency) is still conducting an analysis, and the Trade Ministry has also asked the police's crime investigation department to probe the issue. So let us wait for the results," he emphasized.
The synthetic rice issue emerged after a resident of Bekasi, Dewi Septiani, reported it and uploaded a photograph on a social media platform.
After Septiani bought rice from the market in Bekasi on May 13 and tried to cook it, she found it weird that it was not cooking well and smelled strange.
"When I watched it closely, I found that the shape of the rice was also different. Real rice has stripes outside and a white eye, while this one (believed to be synthetic) did not have these signs," she had pointed out.
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