RRI.CO.ID, Semarang - Indonesia is stepping up regulatory oversight of its lucrative traditional herbal medicine sector, with the Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) introducing a national campaign designed to root out illegal, chemically tainted products and preserve the global reputation of authentic jamu.

Dubbed the Indonesia Sadar Jamu Aman (Idaman) movement, meaning Indonesia Aware of Safe Jamu, the initiative was officially unveiled in Semarang on TuesdayJune 9, 2026. The campaign aims to foster a transparent and highly compliant production ecosystem while educating consumers to distinguish between pure botanical remedies and hazardous, counterfeit concoctions.

"Up until now, people have assumed that drinking jamu is safe, and indeed it is safe. But the reality is that there are still many actors who manufacture unsafe jamu," BPOM Chief Taruna Ikrar stated during the launch, as quoted by Antara.

Taruna revealed that rogue manufacturers routinely compromise public health by spiking traditional formulas with synthetic medicinal chemicals to mimic instant curative results.

"That is what destroys the image of traditional jamu, turning it into something unsafe," Taruna warned, adding that such fraudulent practices tarnish the credibility of legitimate businesses looking to expand into international markets.

To date, the regulatory body has evaluated and granted official distribution permits to approximately 22,000 certified types of jamu and traditional remedies. However, this licensed figure only scratches the surface of the archipelago's vast ecological wealth.

Indonesia possesses some of the highest biodiversity on Earth, counting roughly 31,000 distinct plant species that hold viable chemical properties for herbal pharmacology.

"We have a very high biodiversity potential, yet it has not been maximally leveraged economically," Taruna noted, calling on regional governors and regents to proactively campaign for localized production standards that protect consumers and capitalize on these bio-resources.

The clean-production initiative has found a major ally in Central Java, a province historically recognized as the heartland of Indonesia's commercial jamu industry.

Central Java Vice Governor Taj Yasin Maimoen expressed full regional alignment with the Idaman movement, highlighting that the province houses numerous dedicated jamu villages (Kampung Jamu) whose economic output could be supercharged through proper standardization.

Yasin reiterated that aggressive public education campaigns must be sustained to expose illegal operations using medicinal chemicals, thereby shielding traditional Balinese and Javanese wellness heritages from industrial malpractice. ***