Every time before Eid al Fitr, there are often cases of illegal circulation of boar meat or pork, both in the form of mixing and counterfeiting.
Mixed boar meat is boar meat mixed with beef and claimed to be beef. The fake meat is boar meat or pork which is sold as if it were beef.
The most recent case of meat forgery occurred in the area of Bandung, West Java. Police Bandung County Police, West Java, managed to secure four people who traded pork which is claimed to be beef. Over the past year, the cheated butchers have distributed around 63 tons of fake meat.
Responding to the continued circulation of meat forgery The Assessment Intitute for Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics Indonesian Council of Ulama (LPPOM MUI) expresses concern over the circulation of pork which is suggested as beef. “This is a business practice that is not only cheated and evil, but also makes people anxiety because fake meat is spreading among Muslim consumers who forbid pork,” said Director of LPPOM MUI, Dr. Lukmanul Hakim, M.Sc.
Lukmanul Hakim said, the spreading of packaged pork as if beef could not be seen partially, since it always repeats itself. According to him, the main problem is due to high demand and supply and weak law enforcement.
“We ask for the stock farmers and sellers to honor the Moslem consumers who refuse to consume the pork. Do not deceive us because it is not only law enforcement that finished. The consumers have been deceived and they have consumed prohibited (haram) things.
It is asserted that considering the fabrication of unclean meat became as if halal meat is a criminal act, so the government, especially the police, must thoroughly investigate the case and take firm action and punish the suspect.
According to Lukmanul Hakim, the circulation of non-halal meat has actually been arranged in such a way, and the distribution channels are also different from the distribution channels of halal meat. “If there is pork spreading in markets without meeting the rules, it is clearly illegal,” said Lukmanul Hakim, while reminding that the pork trade system should be improved in supervision, given that such cases often occur, especially before Eid al-Fitr.
LPPOM MUI reminded consumers that they should not be easily tempted by offering meat at low prices that cannot be guaranteed as halal product. The people is advised to buy meat from traders who have worked with legal slaughterhouses that already have MUI halal certificates.
According to Lukmanul Hakim, who is also a Special Staff to the Vice President for the Economy, after the enactment of Law no. 33 of 2014 concerning Halal Product Assurance (JPH Law) cases of illegal meat circulation should not need to happen again. Because the government already has a legal rules for halal products. “The implementation remains to be strengthened. For this reason, coordination and cooperation between government agencies and law enforcers are neededed in monitoring the implementation of halal product guarantees in Indonesia,” said Lukmanul Hakim. (*)
