Jakarta, Feb. 21 -- Indonesia's Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has intensified food and beverage supervision ahead of Ramadan to ensure public safety and facilitate smooth worship for Muslims.

"During the fasting month, we will step up food and beverage supervision, particularly concerning the presence of hazardous substances such as borax, formalin, or even plastic," BPOM head Taruna Ikrar said on Friday.

He emphasized that increased supervision will cover various food and beverage products, including expired items and snacks commonly consumed to break the fast ( iftar ).

"We will also intensify monitoring before Ramadan to ensure iftar foods are safe. We want to guarantee that," he said.

Ikrar noted that 76 BPOM technical i...