Police in Indonesia this week apparently seized gallons of formalin that were used to make tofu in a Cipinang, East Jakarta factory, according to a Jakarta Post article.

The public informed Jakarta police about the use of the ingredient, which the University of Minnesota reports “is used as a fixative to preserve tissue samples in health care laboratories.”

The article neither listed the tofu brand name nor stated whether the product is shipped to other countries. Investigators also did not provide a motive.

A police spokesperson identified as Adj. Sr. Comr. Mahbub told the newspaper:

The factory, which produces a well-known brand of tofu, had been selling a lot of tofu to several markets in Jakarta for a while now.

The factory is located  on Jl Harapan II, Cipinang Melayu Makasar, East Jakarta, the newspaper reported. Police also confiscated production equipment from the factory.

Indonesian officials have outlawed the use of formalin, which typically includes formaldehyde, methanol and water, in food. The article did not say whether prosecutors expect to file charges.

The University of Minnesota notes that:

low to moderate exposure to formaldehyde can irritate the eyes, nose, mouth, throat and skin, and cause headaches. Formaldehyde may be carcinogenic, and toxic or fatal to humans at high concentrations.

The formaldehyde and methanol also make formalin waste toxic.

It appears that the Jakarta Post was one of the few, if not only, media outlets to report the tofu factory raid. Soybean consumption reportedly is high in Indonesia.

Concerns about food quality in the United States have grown in recent years, especially with more items made overseas and then imported.

U.S. soybean farmers probably have Indonesia on their list of buyers and places to visit. If not, they should. Soybean production in Indonesia is dropping, according to a recent Jakarta Post article.

Buried in the story is some noteworthy market intelligence about, well, tofu and tempeh consumption.

Reporter Anissa Febrina writes:

Currently, Indonesia consumes an average of 2.3 million tons of soybeans each year, of which 50 percent is used for tempeh production with another 40 percent used to make tofu.

Febrina notes that tempeh, which is fermented soybean cake, is a “national treat” and the staple is second in popularity to rice. It reportedly dates to at least 1875.

The problem, though, is Indonesia’s soybean crop production dropped to 600,000 tons in 2008, down from about 700,000 tons in 2006. That accounts for a 14 percent decrease.

As a result, the country relies on soybean imports and Febrina writes that the United States, Brazil and Argentina are the world’s top suppliers.

The country buys “about 90 percent of its total 1.2 million tons of imported soybeans from the United States,” according to the article.

The price for imported soybeans also has increased. As of last year, the country has an estimated population of 237 million people.

All of this makes for an interesting sub-story to tofu – that behind the recipes, instructional videos and tasty restaurant dishes is the old fashioned theory of supply and demand.

Many sectors in world trade have taken a hit with the recession. But I wonder whether soybean shipments to Asia are one of them because the food is a staple.

I’m sure U.S. soybean farmers keep a daily eye on the changing market, including weather patterns, water supply, population growth, existing stock and making sure they can meet demand.

Recently, South Korean buyers purchased $5 million worth of U.S.-grown soybeans for that country’s tofu market.

Years ago, I wrote a story on wheat farmers in the Pacific Northwest selling their crop to China.

I visited Eastern Washington, interviewed farmers and witnessed wheat being shipped along the Snake River.

For the first time in 30 years, China had entered the Pacific Northwest wheat market in a significant way.