Vegies, fruits from China safe: Health Ministry

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry had never placed vegetables from China on Level 5 of the Food Safety Information System of Malaysia until there was a decrease in supply in the country.
Its food safety and quality division director, Noraini Datuk Mohd Othman, said the ministry had placed all vegetables and fruits from China at Level 4, whereby samples of melamine-free products would be released immediately.
In a statement Sunday, she said, through the Level 4 checks, 57 samples of fruits and vegetables from China which were monitored by the ministry were found to be melamine-free.
Noraini said Sunday’s The New Sunday Times report, “Port Delays Threaten To Double Veggie Prices” and Berita Minggu report, “Country Faces Shortage of Vegetables”, had given the impression the ministry caused the vegetable shortage.
“The ministry is conducting investigations on the allegations made by Berita Minggu that since a week ago, tens of containers of vegetables were stranded at entry points in the country, including Selangor, Johor and Penang,” she said.
On KOSMO’s report, “Melamine in Flour From China Found in Kyrgyzstan”, Noraini said the ministry’s analyses on 18 samples of flour revealed that they contained permissible amounts of melamine.
In another development, seven more food products from China and four locally-produced biscuits were found to have passed the melamine level.
She said they were Variety Flavour Biscuits (Golden Fuji), Strawberry Flavour Round Biscuit (Aji), Potato Cracker (Aji), Farley’s Rusk Orange (Heinz), Farley’s Rusk Original (Heinz), Oatmeal Cracker Coffee Flavour (Haitai) and Mini Cornetto Blueberry & Strawberry Flavour (WALL’s).
The Malaysian products are Rainbow Wafer (HANY), Biskut ABC Chocolate Flavour (Biscuits World), Swiss Roll Perisa Susu (London Biscuits) and Double Choco Choco Coated Cake (MIZU).
Retailers are advised to periodically check the list of products that do not pass the melamine level and contact the district health office and state health department for more information.
Consumers are also advised to check the list and avoid buying the tainted products.
For more information, call 03-8883 3655, 03-8883 3503, 03-8882 2652 or 03-8883 3500. The lines are open from 8am to 9pm daily.