24 Companies in Cikande Industrial Estate, Indonesia, Exposed to Radioactive Cesium-137, Including Major Food and Footwear Factories

Members of the Special Task Force measure radiation exposure levels from materials contaminated with Cesium-137 (Cs-137) during a decontamination operation at the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate, Serang Regency, Banten, on Thursday, October 2, 2025. (ANTARA FOTO/Angga Budhiyanto/nym/Infopublik)

The Indonesian Ministry of Industry (Kemenperin) has revealed that 24 companies operating within the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate (MCIE) in Serang, Banten, have been exposed to the radioactive isotope Cesium-137 (Cs-137).

The contamination was detected across several key sectors, including metal smelting, hazardous waste management, food processing, and manufacturing, with affected firms including PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk (CPIN) and PT Nikomas Gemilang, a major supplier for global brands such as Nike, Adidas, and Puma.

According to the ministry’s mapping and assessment results, radiation levels across the industrial zone varied significantly, ranging from 1.6 to 152 microsieverts per hour in the food industry, 0.24 to 0.4 microsieverts per hour in waste management facilities, and as high as 700 microsieverts per hour in 15 metal smelting operations.

Even more alarmingly, six landfill sites within the area were found to emit up to 10,000 microsieverts per hour, a level considered extremely hazardous.

The government has now classified the situation as a “serious incident”, and an inter-ministerial task force led by the Coordinating Ministry for Food Affairs has been formed to oversee containment and investigation efforts.

Tracing the Source of Contamination

The radiation case first came to light following a warning from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which detected Cesium-137 in frozen shrimp products exported from PT Bahari Makmur Sejati (BMS), located in the same industrial estate.

The contaminated containers were discovered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) across four major ports—Los Angeles, Houston, Savannah, and Miami—triggering a broader investigation into the source of contamination in Indonesia.

Subsequent investigations by Kemenperin indicated that the radioactive contamination may have originated from the smelting of medical equipment or scrap metal containing Cesium-137.

Preliminary findings suggest that the contamination likely occurred during steel melting processes at PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT), one of the companies operating in the Cikande area.

Authorities suspect two possible sources: contaminated materials sourced domestically—such as scrap derived from used medical instruments—or imported steel scrap.

Although PT PMT had previously applied for an import permit for scrap metal, the request was reportedly never approved by the government.

Officials are now investigating whether the company may have obtained materials through intermediaries with existing import licenses, a practice that would violate trade regulations.

More than 426 tons of contaminated materials have been transferred to a temporary storage facility operated by PT PMT as part of the cleanup effort, while law enforcement agencies continue to trace the supply chain responsible for introducing the radioactive scrap into local industries.

Widening Concerns

The Cesium-137 contamination has raised public health and environmental concerns due to the isotope’s long half-life and potential to cause radiation sickness, cancer, and soil or water pollution.

The issue gained renewed attention after the U.S. FDA issued a second warning on September 19, 2025, reporting similar radioactive traces in clove products exported by PT Natural Java Spice from Surabaya, East Java.

Indonesia’s government is now under pressure to strengthen import controls on scrap metal, improve industrial waste monitoring, and ensure radioactive safety compliance across manufacturing zones.

Experts warn that the Cikande case could become one of Indonesia’s most serious industrial contamination incidents in recent decades, highlighting systemic gaps in oversight within the nation’s metal recycling and export sectors.

Here is the complete list of the 24 companies mentioned in the news article that were reported to be exposed to radioactive Cesium-137 (Cs-137) in the Modern Cikande Industrial Estate (MCIE), Serang, Banten:

• PT Bahari Makmur Sejati
• PT Nikomas Gemilang
• PT Citra Baru Steel
• PT Valero Metals Jaya
• PT Universal Eco Pacific
• PT Sinta Baja Jaya
• PT Crown Steel
• PT Sentosa Harmony Steel (formerly PT Hwa Hok Steel)
• PT Vita Prodana Mandiri
• PT Kanemory / Food Service
• PT Charoen Pokphand Indonesia Tbk (CPIN)
• PT Peter Metal Technology (PMT)
• PT Growth Nusantara Industry
• PT Asa Bintang Pratama
• PT Cahaya Logam Cipta Murni
• PT Ediral Tritunggal Perkasa
• PT Ever Loyal Copper
• PT Hightech Grand Indonesia
• PT Jongka Indonesia
• PT Kabatama Raya
• PT New Asia Pacific Copper Indonesia
• PT O.M. Indonesia
• PT Zhongtian Metal Indonesia
• PT Luckione Environment Science Indonesia

These companies span multiple sectors, including metal smelting, hazardous waste management (B3), food processing, and manufacturing.