#IndomieBeracun apakah berbahaya untuk orang Taiwan berarti tidak berbahaya untuk orang Indonesia?pls explain!

I cant believe, government has let this happen...you choose to defend
the owner of PT Indofood instead the people. How much have u been paid to allow that evil capitalist sell their products? This food must be banned. Thanks to media in Taipei which has published the news
that Indomie is a poisonous food. Luckily I am not a fan of that
disgusting food...but my family like to eat Indomie. I have warned
them that it is not a safe food to eat. ..

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Indomie instant noodles beracun...berbahaya.. is poisonous food. Dont eat them!

detik Finance : Indomie 'Berbahaya' di Taiwan Mestinya untuk Spesifikasi Pasar Indonesia
I cant believe, government has let this happen...you choose to defend the owner of PT Indofood instead the people. How much have u bribed for this? Thank you for media in Taipei which has published the news that Indomie is a poisonous food.  Luckily I am not a fan of that disgusting food...but my family like to eat Indomie. I have warned them that it is not a safe food to eat. ...

Mie instan produk PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (ICBP), Indomie yang dianggap Taiwan 'berbahaya' ternyata sebenarnya untuk spesifikasi pasar Indonesia. Tak heran, ketika sampai di Taiwan, produk itu langsung tak memenuhi standar negara tersebut.

Hal itu terungkap berdasarkan hasil klarifikasi Kantor Dagang Indonesia (KDI) di Taiwan kepada pihak produsen mie instant yakni Indofood untuk memberikan keterangan mengenai informasi tersebut. Klarifikasi itu diajukan setelah KDI di Taiwan mendapat surat pemberitahuan dari departemen kesehatan setempat terkait kasus temuan produk mie instant Indomie 'berbahaya'.

"Yang ditemukan di departemen kesehatan Taiwan adalah produk Indomie yang harusnya beredar di Indonesia," kata Kepala Bidang Perdagangan Kantor Dagang dan Ekonomi Taiwan Bambang Mulyatno di gedung DPR-RI, Senayan, Jakarta, Senin (11/10/2010).

Sebelumnya, Badan Pengawasan Obat dan Makanan (BPOM) memastikan produk buatan Indonesia itu aman dikonsumsi.

"Kita jamin (Indomie) aman. Tidak apa-apa," kata Kepala BPOM, Kustantinah, kepada detikcom, Senin (11/10/2010).

Kustantinah menjelaskan BPOM mempunyai aturan yang mengatur bahan tambahan makanan yang diperbolehkan ada di dalam pangan dengan batas maksimum penggunaannya. BPOM mengacu kepada Peraturan Menteri Kesehatan nomor 722 tahun 1988 yang salah satunya mengatur masalah bahan tambakan makanan.

Menurut dia, BPOM telah melakukan pengawasan dan pengujian terhadap bahan pengawet nipagin yang ada di dalam Indomie.

"Yang digunakan sebagai pengawet, ada di dalam kecap 250 mg per kg produk. Pengujian dan pengawasan kita tidak lebih dari situ. Jadi tidak apa-apa," ujar dia.

Sementara Direktur PT Indofood Sukses Makmur Tbk (INDF) Fransiscus Welirang juga mengatakan, Taiwan memiliki kriteria khusus atas produk Makanan Minuman yang masuk ke negaranya, berbeda dengan standarisasi internasional yang ditetapkan Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC). Forum CAC (Codex Alimentarius Commission) merupakan organisasi perumus standar internasional untuk bidang pangan.

"Prinsipnya Taiwan memang memiliki ketentuan dan spec (spesifikasi) berbeda karena tidak anggota Codex dunia seperti kita," jelas pria yang biasa disapa Franky itu.

Sebelumnya, media-media di Taiwan mengabarkan penarikan Indomie dari sejumlah supermarket. Indomie ditarik karena mengandung Methyl P-Hydroxybenzoate yang dilarang di Taiwan. Tidak hanya di Taiwan, dua jaringan supermarket terbesar di Hong Kong juga menyetop penjualan produk INDF. Pemerintah Hong Kong pun akan melakukan tes uji produk Indomie.

Namun, berdasarkan rilis resmi Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur, selaku produsen Indomie menegaskan, produk mie instan yang diekspor ke Taiwan sudah memenuhi peraturan dari Departemen Kesehatan Biro Keamanan Makanan Taiwan.

"Sehubungan dengan pemberitaan di media massa Taiwan baru-baru ini, mengenai kandungan bahan pengawet E218 (Methyl P-Hydroxybenzoate) dalam produk mi instan Indomie, PT Indofood CBP Sukses Makmur Tbk (ICBP) menjelaskan bahwa produk mi instan yang diekspor oleh Perseroan ke Taiwan telah sepenuhnya memenuhi peraturan dari Departemen Kesehatan Biro Keamanan Makanan Taiwan," jelas Taufik Wiraatmadja, Direktur ICBP dalam siaran persnya.

ICBP telah mengekspor produk mi instan ke berbagai negara di seluruh dunia selama lebih dari 20 tahun. Perseroan senantiasa berupaya memastikan bahwa produknya telah memenuhi peraturan dan ketentuan keselamatan makanan yang berlaku di berbagai negara dimana produk mi instannya dipasarkan.

wanna fly using airlines with 'cuddle class'

 | News.com.au

 

"CUDDLE class'' is tipped to become the next big thing in air travel when it launches next month as the class divide on planes continues to narrow.

Some airlines are starting to introduce rows of three economy class seats together that can be converted into a large, flat space suitable for families or couples who want to stretch out next to each other.

Two passengers travelling together will be able to book the third seat in the row for half price.

The seats, known as Skycouches and light-heartedly referred to as "cuddle class'', have been earmarked for launch on some Air New Zealand services from Auckland to LA in November.

Boutique travel agency Travel Associates general manager David Lovelock said the class divide in the sky was narrowing as airlines moved away from the traditional economy-business-first class cabin configuration.

 

AU Dollar higher as US fears grow |

 News.com.au

"That would mark an historic 27-year high with the unit, which hasn't passed one US dollar since it was floated on December 8, 1983."

THE dollar was higher at noon and well on its way to parity with the US dollar, as fears grow the US will renew its quantitative easing program in the coming weeks.

At noon (AEDT), the dollar was trading at US98.73c, up from Friday's close of US98.19c.

Since 5pm on Friday, the "Aussie" has traded between US99.07c and US98.09c.

Commonwealth Bank currency strategist Joseph Capurso said he expected the Aussie to break parity with the US dollar by week's end.

That would mark an historic 27-year high with the unit, which hasn't passed one US dollar since it was floated on December 8, 1983.

"I think we will get to parity this week," Mr Capurso said.

"We have eight US Federal Reserve speakers in the US this week.

"We think they are going to talk about quantitative easing, and that will put downside pressure on the US dollar this week ... so you will probably see the Aussie push up."

Quantitative easing is where the Fed buys up US treasuries so as to increase the supply of money in the economy.

It was used by the Fed in 2008 as a response to the global financial crisis.

Among those speaking this week are Fed chairman Ben Bernanke, who is to give a speech called `Monetary Policy Objectives and Tools in a Low-Inflation Environment' on Friday.

He will be speaking in Boston, Massachusetts, at a Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Conference on Revisiting Monetary Policy in a Low-Inflation Environment.

With no significant domestic data due and the international data-scene quiet for the week, Mr Capurso said he expected the unit to grind higher.

"The only thing that might spoil the parity march is if the Bank of Japan come in and start buying US dollars," he said.

Meanwhile, the bond market was weaker at noon.

At midday today on the Sydney Futures Exchange, the December 10-year bond futures contract was at 94.975 (implying a yield of 5.055 per cent), down from 94.980 (5.020 per cent).

The December three-year bond futures contract was at 95.090 (4.910 per cent), down from 95.080 (4.920 per cent).

Anything you must know about cancer

 | Mail Online

Does cancer hurt, and which types might I survive: The 20 things you always needed to know about the disease but were too embarrassed to ask

When you or someone close is diagnosed with cancer, you may want to know everything about the disease. But perhaps you do not know what questions to ask – or feel that you should know the answers already.

Alison Boyd, the Macmillan Cancer Information Nurse Specialist at the London Clinic Cancer Centre, who provides information and support to patients diagnosed with cancer and their families, answers some commonly asked questions.
His toughest role: Michael Douglas, pictured with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones is being given chemotherapy and radiation treatment for Stage Four throat cancer

His toughest role: Michael Douglas, pictured with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones is being given chemotherapy and radiation treatment for Stage Four throat cancer

How many different types of cancer are there?

About 200, but some are rarer than others. Does cancer hurt? This depends on where you have it. With the majority of cancers, people do not experience pain as a first symptom.

The cancer cells themselves are not painful, but when they make a tumour that presses somewhere, for example on the spine, or blocks an airway or passage, this can be painful.

If the disease is advanced and has spread to the bones, then pain may be a symptom.

How does it kill you?

Cancer at an early stage does not kill you: it is only when advanced that it can become fatal. Not all cancers kill and some have survival rates of more than 90 per cent.

The way cancer causes death varies according to what type it is. Some cancers kill you by interfering with your body’s vital functions.

Cancer can take over an organ, such as the lung, causing it to collapse and preventing you from breathing properly. Or it may cause a blockage in the digestive system that stops your body from absorbing vital nutrients.

If it reaches the liver or bones, it upsets the body’s delicate chemical balance, leading to unconsciousness and eventually death. Cancer may also make you immobile.

This causes you to develop infections such as pneumonia, which the body is too weak to fight.

However, the pain-control options available mean that those with cancer should not die in pain.
How many stages of cancer are there?

Most types have four stages. Generally speaking your prognosis is better the earlier the cancer is diagnosed.

* Stage One – localised cancer, it is contained where it started. .
* Stage Two – usually means that the tumour is larger than in Stage One, but can also mean that there is evidence of cancer in nearby lymph nodes. This would indicate that cancer cells have spread and therefore already entered the bloodstream, increasing the risk of cancer developing elsewhere in the body. .
* Stage Three – the cancer is larger than in Stages One or Two. There are cancer cells in the lymph nodes in the surrounding area. It may have started to invade surrounding tissues or organs. .
* Stage Four – also called secondary or metastatic cancer. It has spread and there is evidence of it in other organs in the body. You can live with Stage Four cancer but it is often a case of managing rather than curing the disease.

Is it possible to tell how long someone has had cancer?

Patients often want to know the answer to this. With skin cancer, once the lesion has been removed you can measure its depth to get an idea how long it has been growing.

With other cancers it can be hard to tell. Cancer takes many years to develop before symptoms appear.

If I have had one cancer, am I at greater risk of getting another type?

Your risk increases slightly, because of the treatment for the initial cancer. If you have received radiotherapy, especially for breast, testicular and skin cancer, it damages the healthy cells as well as killing the cancer cells, and these damaged cells may then mutate to become cancerous. But this is only a slight risk.

Do age and fitness affect your chances of surviving?

It is generally seen as positive to be young and fit as you will probably have a better immune system and be strong enough to withstand the treatment.

The fitter you are, the better equipped you will be to cope. Cancer is not more aggressive in young people and there is no pattern for who gets which grade and at what age.

Do race and skin colour have any effect on your risk?

Generally not, though some cancers are more common in people of colour. For example, prostate cancer-has a higher incidence in Afro-Caribbean men (it is not known why) and myeloma (blood cancer) is more common in the black population.

Which cancers are hereditary?

Ovarian, bowel, breast and uterine cancer have identified susceptibility genes: scientists have discovered the gene responsible for each of those cancers.

It does not mean you are going to get that cancer if you have the gene, but it does put you at an increased risk.

You can, if you choose, be tested to see if the gene has been passed on.

Testicular, pancreatic and prostate may also run in families but have no identified gene, so cannot be tested for.

What is the difference between primary and secondary cancer?

Primary cancer is where the cancer started to grow. Secondary cancer is when some cancer cells have broken away from the primary tumour, travelled in the bloodstream (or lymph system) to another site in the body and started to grow.

Secondary cancer is considered to be advanced disease and becomes more difficult to treat. You cannot usually eradicate the disease once it is in the bloodstream because it will just grow somewhere else.

But doctors can manage the disease with treatment that may slow its growth or alleviate its symptoms.

Why can’t cancer be cured by organ transplants?

Transplanted organs are not used to treat cancer in organs because if the cells have already travelled to other parts of body, even if you remove the organ with the primary cancer, the cancer cells will continue to grow on the new organ, or somewhere else.

Also, you would need anti-rejection medication for the transplant to work. This would dampen the immune system that may be fighting the cancer naturally.

Can you catch cancer from someone else?

No. Cancer is caused by cell changes in a person’s body – it is an internal process; you cannot catch cells so you cannot catch cancer.

What happens if a GP suspects you have cancer?

They will refer you to a specialist for further tests according to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines.

Most cancers are treated by surgery first, so you would initially see a surgeon, then a medical oncologist to decide if further follow-up therapy is required after surgery, such as chemotherapy, hormone therapy and biological therapy.

If necessary, you may also be referred to a clinical oncologist for radiotherapy.

Can diet and exercise help beat cancer?

A good, balanced diet means that you will be healthier before you start cancer treatment. Your immune system will be in better shape to fight infection and you may heal faster.

Exercise helps you feel better, gives you energy and also boosts morale. But patients should not push themselves. Keep doing what is normal for you, within the limits advised by your doctor.

I have been diagnosed with cancer. How do I tell my children?

There is no right or wrong way. Generally, the best policy is to be honest, but not harsh. It is OK to say: ‘We don’t know what’s going to happen.’

For younger children who do not understand what cancer is, we tend to talk in terms of bad cells and good cells.

Can I get a second opinion?

Yes, and most specialists are happy to do a second referral. Speak to your current specialist or GP and ask for a referral to another specialist.

If they are not happy, you can see someone privately or speak to a clinical nurse specialist or local cancer information support centre, such as a Macmillan Centre.

Will cancer affect my chances of conceiving?

It depends on what type of treatment is required. Some types of chemotherapy and radiotherapy can affect fertility. It is easy for men to bank sperm, but a much more complicated and longer process for women to freeze eggs or ovarian tissue.Discuss it with your specialist.

Why are some cancers inoperable?

If tumours are in an awkward position, too close to major blood vessels or organs, or if they are growing round the spine it can be too difficult to operate, or it might not be appropriate if the cancer is at an advanced stage, when the primary site is elsewhere.

Blood cancers or bone marrow cancers cannot be operated on. But other treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormone or biological therapies may be used.

Which types have the best survival rate?

Testicular and prostate in men and breast and uterine in women, because they can be removed early.