PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA The ongoing debate surrounding the palm oil industry in Indonesia has once again come to the forefront, sparking serious concern from Santri Tani Nahdlatul Ulama (Santri Tani NU). Of particular focus is the Indonesian company Korte Chocolate, which prominently labels its products as ‘palm oil-free.’ Established in 2014 in Surabaya, East Java, by Jeffry Lukito and Suhadi Nugraha, Korte Chocolate has garnered significant attention.
T. Rusli Ahmad, the Chairman of Santri Tani NU, expressed apprehension, stating that the ‘palm oil-free’ label on Korte Chocolate products could create confusion among consumers and have adverse effects on smallholders.
The Information Technology (IT) team of Santri Tani NU conducted an investigation, revealing that the chocolate brand holds a halal certification from the Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Produk Halal (BPJPH) under the Ministry of Religion.
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“We would send official documents to the Ministry of Religion to revoke the halal label published by BPJPH,” Rusli Ahmad said, as in the official statement to Palmoilmagazine.com, December 31, 2023.
He also mentioned the company needs evaluation from domestic markets for being considered to make a loss to the economy and people’s buying capability.
“It is significant to avoid bad perspectives in the palm oil industry because Indonesia is the biggest palm oil producer in the world and contributes almost 60% of the supplies globally,” he said.
For being concerned about smallholders that become members of Santri Tani NU, Rusli Ahmad claimed that anyone who corners palm oil industries would be the first institution to block him. “Deliver your statement scientifically. Do business without delivering losses for others, particularly in negative campaigns,” Rusli said. (T2)
