Friday, 16 January 2015

SNI CERTIFICATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH CODEX



The Ministry of Maritime and Fishery [KKP] synchronized application of SNI [Indonesia National Standard] of quality with Codex Alimentarius Commission [CAC], an institution established by FAO and WHO under the United Nations who held mandate of standardization in food, Consumer Health Protection, and Noble Practices in international food trading. “Under any circumstance Indonesia’s fishery products would refer to Codex standard in terms of raw materials, production process, end result and testing method” The Dir. Gen. of P2HP Saut P. Hutagalung disclosed to Business News [28/11].

Standardization of fishery products was on the frontier of protection line domestic products at home and abroad. Today the standardization of fishery products consisted of 160 SNI or fishery products. Standardization for exported products referred to Codex, which automatically had passed screening process at the laboratory, so the products were hygienically guaranteed and safe to consume. Certification was compulsory for all products.”

On the other hand KKP convinced business people that SNI application was advantageous to business. Under the present condition some modern retailers. Under the present condition some modern retailers including Carrefour and Giant tend to buy from suppliers on ‘pay now’ basis. “Now all fish products sold in modern markets must be SNI certified. They buy on ‘pay now’ basis not consigning their products on ‘pay later’ basis.”

By globalization the world was now united under new reference called “standard.” Accordingly, most activities in the fishery industry were based on standardization. Competitiveness of standardized fishery products was part of market liberalization. SNI was also a system of quality upgrading, market expansion, innovation, and value addition. “Year after year, SNI of fishery products was keeping ip with technology advancement.”

The Technical committee 65-05 on Fishery Products ane Technical Committee [KT] were executor of Law no 20/2014 on Standardization and Evaluation. In 2014 BSN had stipulated 8 SNI formulated by KT 65 05. The products were among others Fish Bakso Meatballs, Frozen Fish, Fresh Tuna for Sashimi, Frozed Tuna Loin. Besides, SNI also applied chemical testing system on bronze [CU] and zinc [Zn] on fish products. “Market demand for testing was increasing, but there was price adjustments. Traders and consumers could interact, while consumers were assure of product safety, producers were advantaged by SNL”

Today there were obstacles to SNI execution. The Government and the Fish Processing Unit Center must work hard to apply SNI. The problems encountered were among others: business people were ignorant of SNI, the advantages of SNI. Thirdly, limited number of Evaluation agents [LPK] in terms of quantity, scope of screening and outspreading. Fourthly low commitment to SNI application and poor coordination among related executors.

“We feel the need for stages in the application of mandatory SNI. Now application of SNI was stll on voluntary basis, but we keep on promoting. We are afraid that some unstandardized products were banned, we don’t want this to happen to fishery products. Producers must be made aware of the long term business benefit of SNI.”

Upon embarking on the AEC 2015 Indonesia would be bound to the single market agreement not to prohibit fishery products which had met qualifications. SNI was in fact not the only strategy to shield off invasion of imported products. SNI was intended to assure product quality.

SNI was an important instrument for screening product quality, “Domestic Small Business [UKM] product are SNI certified, such as canned food which had broad market base. As soon as they are SNI certified, UKM products would be ready to compete in Asean market. It would be ready to compete in Asean market. It would wall out imported products”

In 2014 the Dir Gen of P2HP had facilitated 10 UKM to have SNI certification; this would promote upgrading of UKM. Among the UKM being facilitated were : UD Cindy Parung, Bogor, West Java. They produced Bandeng Presto which was SNI certified. There were 9 other UKM who expected to be SNI certified by end of 2014. “There will be registration fee for UKM, which is natural. KKP employ experts and testers with salary of Rp6 million per product and they are paid by KPP. We only help small business [UKM], big companies have to pay their own fee” (SS)

Business News - December 3, 2014

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