Consumer Legal Protection Against Local Food Products That Violate Food Labeling Regulations (A Study On Local Food Products In Binjai City)

Abstract

This study aims to analyze consumer legal protection against local food products in Binjai City that do not comply with food labeling requirements as stipulated in Law No. 8 of 1999 on Consumer Protection, Law No. 18 of 2012 on Food, and BPOM Regulation No. 31 of 2018 on Processed Food Labels. The research method used is a normative-empirical study with a socio-legal approach. Data were obtained through literature review and field observations of several local food products, such as Roti Limo Satria, Miranti Bakery, and Kerupuk Rambak Pak Min, and were analyzed qualitatively. The findings reveal that most local food business actors in Binjai City have not fully complied with food labeling obligations. Some business actors do not provide any labels, some provide incomplete labels, and some begin to comply with partial requirements. The main contributing factors include limited capital, low legal literacy of business actors, weak socialization and supervision from relevant agencies, and low consumer awareness of food labeling. This situation creates a gap between regulation and reality, indicating that consumer legal protection has not been effectively implemented. The study concludes that both preventive and repressive legal protection need to be strengthened through enhanced socialization, stricter supervision, consumer empowerment, and technical support for SMEs so that the implementation of food labeling obligations can align with the objectives of consumer protection.