Chef Vindex Tengker told the Jakarta Post that Indonesians have so far been lucky that, despite a lack of awareness on food safety, things have been going rather well, adding, “I have spent 24 years working around kitchens around the globe. I’ve been in the US, Spain, Turkey, Japan and Mexico; food safety is a problem everywhere. Food safety is attitude; it takes time to develop an attitude. You have to do it each and every day.” 

Wasis Gunarto, a general manager of a well-known cafe and restaurant franchise in Jakarta, said food businesspeople were in the dark about food safety standards and certification.

“We don’t have much knowledge on food safety standards from the government and which body is in charge of the certification,” Wasis said.
He said his company opted to cooperate with an international hotel chain and have their restaurant employees trained under international hotel standards.

“I think the government has a lot of homework to do in this food safety standards issue. They should not only focus on restaurant operators but also apply food safety standards on produce distributors and suppliers,” Wasis said.

The story notes the World Health Organization has devised five keys to safer food: clean; separate; cook; keep food at safe temperatures; and use safe water and raw materials.

As in source food from safe sources. FightBac folks, are you listening?