The recent swift action by State Veterinary Authority as reported
KUCHING: A sample of chicken frankfurter product
produced by Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd was found to contain the
prohibited antibiotic ‘chloramphenicol’ during random testing by the
State Veterinary Authority last week. The detection of the
substance has been confirmed by the Veterinary Authority in Kuala
Lumpur, said Datuk Mong Dagang, Assistant Minister for Agriculture
(Research and Marketing).
Chloramphenicol was previously used to treat diseases in chicks. However, its use on food-producing animals was not permitted because harmful residues may remain in food products. Mong
told The Borneo Post on Saturday that the batch of chicken frankfurter
tested had entered the state from Peninsular Malaysia through Bintulu. “The
State Health Department has been alerted and further action on the
sales of products from Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd is up to them,”
he said.
Mong added that following the shocking find, the state immediately suspended import of Ayamas products, while the
State Veterinary Authority forwarded a notice of the suspension of
importation of products from this company to importers on Nov 1. The
notice stated that the importation of whole chicken, poultry meat,
poultry meat cut, and poultry meat value-added products (nugget,
shelf-stable, bone-in, chunky meat, sausage, burger and meatball) from
Ayamas had been suspended with immediate effect, until further notice,
due to the detection of the banned substance. On locally produced chicken products and products, Mong said they were safe for consumption. “The
Veterinary Authority will continue to remain vigilant, and so far
locally produced chicken products are safe for consumption. That goes
for those from Peninsular Malaysia too … but not from Ayamas.”
Datuk Rohani Karim
Meanwhile,
Ayamas products were still on sale yesterday as the Health Department
and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry have not given
directives for them to be removed. When met at Giant Hypermarket
in Tabuan here yesterday, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer
Affairs, Datuk Rohani Karim, said that the matter was “quite serious”,
but it needed to be probed further.
“We (ministry) have not gotten
any letter from the (state) ministry responsible. When we are notified,
we will instruct our officers to act. If this is true, it is a serious
case because it involves human health.” Rohani, who is Batang
Lupar MP, cautioned that offenders might be prosecuted under the
Consumer Protection Act, which carries a maximum penalty of RM100,000
fine or three years in jail.
As for the Health Department, its
director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan said on Saturday that his department
would conduct another round of tests on Ayamas products to confirm the
presence of Chloramphenicol. “We will have to do some more tests
for further confirmation, and if there were Chloramphenicol, then we
shall seal the affected products.” Prior to these official statements, the issue had gone viral in Facebook
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