Electronic Theses and Dissertation

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This thesis examines the Häagen-Dazs ethylene oxide contamination in-cident that occurred in certain countries as a case study to assess how Indonesia’s existing food safety regulations, particularly its established Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for ethylene oxide, function in preventing and responding to chemical contamination in imported food products. The study proposes proactive legal and policy measures to strengthen Indonesia’s food safety framework in line with international best practices. The research also examines how these national regulations align with the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phy-tosanitary Measures (SPS Agreement) and international food safety standards such as the Codex Alimentarius. Ethylene oxide, a chemical classified as a car-cinogen, was found in certain Häagen-Dazs ice cream products, triggering prod-uct recalls in multiple countries, including Indonesia. While Indonesia has set MRLs for ethylene oxide, this incident highlights the critical need to evaluate how effectively these limits are enforced at the bor-der and within domestic markets. Using a qualitative normative legal method, this study analyzes Law No. 18 of 2012 on Food, BPOM regulations, and related ministerial decrees, alongside WTO SPS principles, including science-based risk assessment, transparency, and equivalence. The findings suggest that while Indonesia’s regulatory framework in-cludes MRLs for ethylene oxide, challenges remain in practical enforcement, co-ordination among regulatory agencies, and the application of preventive controls on imported goods. Furthermore, inconsistencies between Indonesia’s MRLs and Codex standards may pose risks to international trade compliance and food safety credibility. This thesis concludes with recommendations to enhance Indonesia’s food safety infrastructure through improved monitoring mechanisms, harmonization with international standards, capacity-building for enforcement agencies, and greater transparency in decision-making for regulatory purposes. The study em-phasizes the importance of continually updating food safety systems in response to emerging chemical risks and the global integration of the food trade network.