At a press briefing, the Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman revealed that twenty five out of twenty seven rice brands marketed as fortified were fraudulent. Fortified rice is intended to serve as a nutritional safeguard for children facing stunting, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers.

This type of rice is subsidized by the government to ensure affordability and health benefits. Instead, what emerged was a scheme that drained consumer trust and siphoned money from households already struggling to secure basic nutrition.

The minister detailed how legitimate fortified rice should retail at thirteen thousand rupiah per kilogram, yet the counterfeit products were being sold at fifty seven thousand rupiah. That difference of forty four thousand rupiah per kilo represented not only profiteering but also a betrayal of families who depend on affordable staples.

The government has committed to pulling these fake brands from circulation, revoking distribution permits, and pursuing legal action against producers responsible for the deception. Among the exposed brands were Fortification Idol, Betta Fish, Bangkok Dancers, Nutrition Pills, and Wellfarm Diabetic Rice. Laboratory testing confirmed that these products lacked the required nutrient fortification.

The findings underscored how malpractice had infiltrated a market that should be dedicated to safeguarding public health.