Indonesia faces a growing health crisis. Highly processed foods containing excessive amounts of saturated fats, trans-fats, sugar and salt now dominate the nation's food supply. Products such as sugar-sweetened beverages, savoury snacks and instant noodles are becoming increasingly popular because they are cheap, widely available and heavily marketed to consumers.
The health consequences are severe. Dietary risk factors are now the third-largest contributor to death and disability across the country. More than half of deaths from heart disease can be traced to unhealthy eating habits, along with nearly a third of stroke deaths and almost one-fifth of diabetes deaths. Adult obesity rates have soared from 15.4% to 23.4% in just ten years, whilst nearly one in five teenagers is now overweight. Alarmingly, nearly half the population over age 3 drinks more than one sugar-sweetened beverage daily, yet only 3.3% of those aged 5 and above eat the minimum recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables each day.
In response, the World Health Organization (WHO) successfully advocated adoption of best-practice measures in Government Regulation Number 28 of 2024, which was enacted on 26 July 2024 and gives the government two years to implement it. This new law requires mandatory labels on the front of food packages, menu labelling for ready-to-serve foods, and the reformulation of products to reduce salt, sugar and fat. It also restricts how unhealthy foods can be advertised, introduces possibility to tax these products and establish healthy food zones. In addition, the regulation restricts the use of ingredients that poses risks of causing non-communicable diseases like diabetes and heart disease. These ground-breaking measures will improve Indonesia’s food environment in line with WHO guidelines.
Throughout 2025, WHO worked closely with Indonesia's Food and Drug Authority (BPOM) to create the technical regulations needed to implement these measures. WHO supported the George Institute for Global Health to assist BPOM in developing a national sodium benchmark for processed food. This was done through technical discussions, expert consultations and focus groups involving government bodies, academics, professional organizations and civil society groups. The draft benchmark, currently being finalized through national consultations, will establish maximum sodium levels for food categories contributing most to salt consumption.
Policy dialogue on marketing restrictions of unhealthy foods. Credit: BPOM
WHO also supported BPOM in developing policy recommendations for marketing restrictions of unhealthy food. Policy dialogues with stakeholders reviewed global best practices and existing national laws to develop measures suited to Indonesia's context. These policy recommendations will serve as reference for BPOM and other ministries in drafting future regulations.
Dwiana Andayani, Director of Standardisation of Processed Food at BPOM, said, “The BPOM–WHO collaboration is anticipated to contribute in reducing the excessive consumption of foods high in salt, sugar and fat. BPOM urges all stakeholders to collaborate in establishing a healthier food system, thereby fostering a healthier, more productive and competitive generation in the future."
These regulatory changes matter because they shape what people eat. When implemented, these interventions should reduce unhealthy food consumption and lower chronic disease risks across Indonesia's population. WHO Indonesia will continue working with the government to finalize the sodium benchmark, enact marketing restriction regulations and implement mandatory front-of-pack labelling on packaged food.
Written by Dina Kania, National Professional Officer (Policy and Legislation), WHO Indonesia