Strategy to minimize the risk of rejection due to mycotoxin contamination: Case for Indonesian nutmeg

Nutmeg seed is one of the Indonesian export products to the European Union (EU). However, due to series of non-compliance since 2016, in 2022 the EU imposed a 30% regulatory check for nutmeg consignment originating from Indonesia. This stricter control resulted in higher number of non-compliant batch/lot in the period of 2022-2023, and therefore, it is of importance to formulate a strategy to decrease the non-compliance. Desk study and interviews were conducted to obtain information on border rejection, health certificate application, and the underlying factor causing border rejection. The analysis on performance of sampling plan and the probability distribution were used to recommend the suitable strategy fit for the purpose. To decrease the number of non-compliance, and thus border rejection, the competent authority needs to reduce the prevalence of high contamination level by implementing sufficient measures. Of two possible measures, controlling raw material is able to reduce non-compliance by 80%. To control the raw material, the exporter is required to source a good quality raw material and implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). These selected measures shall be made mandatory and should be implemented gradually within 5 years, considering the readiness of the exporter and the whole nutmeg production support system.