Legal protection for availability, quality food safety and food waste management

Legal protection for consumers from the circulation of food containing hazardous substances is increasingly felt to be very important, given the rapid development of science and technology that can have a negative impact on human behavior. The method used is to combine normative legal research and empirical legal research which is intended to be able to examine regulations relating to consumer protection and to find out the application of these regulations in society by seeking information directly, namely by conducting interviews with parties who then described in narrative form. The results of the research that have been carried out conclude that legal protection for consumers in Merauke Regency for each food product must meet food safety and quality standards by conducting laboratory tests on the food to be produced and distributed. Production Permits can be granted to business actors if they meet the requirements in the Food Law. The Health Service and BPOM also routinely monitor food and beverages circulating in Merauke so that consumers as consumers are protected from food containing hazardous substances. There are still many business actors who distribute food or drinks that are not suitable for consumption because the sanctions given are only administrative sanctions so that they do not provide a deterrent effect. polluting the environment.