Melamine - 142 types of biscuits, cookies cleared by Health Ministry
The Health Ministry has cleared 142 types of biscuits and cookies sold locally of melamine contamination, while 31 varieties that were tainted have been withdrawn from the market.
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai told reporters today the effort to clean up the industry of melamine has got the full support of the manufacturers and importers of ingredients who will now carry out self-risk assessment and product batch testing at ministry-certified laboratories.
He said this after a one-hour meeting with some 50 food manufacturers and importers at his ministry here over the melamine issue, and to discuss the sourcing of baking agent ammonium bicarbonate.
Liow had last week announced a blanket ban on China-made ammonium bicarbonate but yesterday, he said the ban had been lifted except for those made by three companies -- Broadtech Chemical Int. Co Ltd, Tianjin Red Triangle International Trading Co. Ltd and Dalian Chemical Industries -- as they were found to have high levels of melamine contamination.
He also said that except for the three Chinese companies, all other importers of ammonium bicarbonate will be subjected to Level 5 (Hold Test Release), and this is a downgrade from Level 6 (Auto Rejection) previously.
Under Level 5, the importer needs a letter of certification for that batch plus a melamine analysis report from the competent authority of the exporting country.
Currently, 95 % of the ammonium bicarbonate imported for local use are from China, while the rest is sourced from Germany and other countries.
Liow said the Ministry is working with its Chinese counterparts to solve the problem
During the press conference, he also gave the green light to the latest list of 24 products – eight from China and 16 types of biscuits from Malaysia manufacturers, Khong Guan and Khian Guan.
Liow thanked local biscuit manufacturers for support in solving the problem of melamine contamination.
"Almost all companies have shown commitment to solve this issue and will carry a self-risk assessment for each batch of their products in their respective companies. These companies will also have to provide the Ministry with a certification after analysing every batch of products manufactured."
He said the companies also have to send samples of their product to two laboratories approved by the Ministry and if any trace of melamine is found, the entire batch will be confiscated and further tested.
For export, the Ministry will issue a certification on the respective batches only after laboratory test results show no trace of melamine.
The latest products from China cleared by the Ministry were:
- ZQ animal biscuit strawberry cream certified, Four Seas spring onion crackers, Golden Fuji strawberry layer biscuit, Scaro traditional gridle (grape), Mr Bunny Twingo wafer, BEST crispy candy, Polleney soybean powder with green tea and Lady’s Choice super chunk peanut butter.
The products manufactured locally by Khong Guan and Khian Guan which were cleared were:
-Cookie Bis biscuits, funcy cookies biscuits, merlion bis biscuits, snowy short cake biscuits, chocolate shake biscuits, pineapple cracker, chocolate ABC biscuits, small square puff, wafer peanut cream, wafer chocolate cream, sweet lemon cream biscuits, nenas cookies, jagung krim biscuits, jem nenas biscuits, butter flavored cookies and chocolate flavored cookies.
- The Sun
Health Minister Datuk Liow Tiong Lai told reporters today the effort to clean up the industry of melamine has got the full support of the manufacturers and importers of ingredients who will now carry out self-risk assessment and product batch testing at ministry-certified laboratories.
He said this after a one-hour meeting with some 50 food manufacturers and importers at his ministry here over the melamine issue, and to discuss the sourcing of baking agent ammonium bicarbonate.
Liow had last week announced a blanket ban on China-made ammonium bicarbonate but yesterday, he said the ban had been lifted except for those made by three companies -- Broadtech Chemical Int. Co Ltd, Tianjin Red Triangle International Trading Co. Ltd and Dalian Chemical Industries -- as they were found to have high levels of melamine contamination.
He also said that except for the three Chinese companies, all other importers of ammonium bicarbonate will be subjected to Level 5 (Hold Test Release), and this is a downgrade from Level 6 (Auto Rejection) previously.
Under Level 5, the importer needs a letter of certification for that batch plus a melamine analysis report from the competent authority of the exporting country.
Currently, 95 % of the ammonium bicarbonate imported for local use are from China, while the rest is sourced from Germany and other countries.
Liow said the Ministry is working with its Chinese counterparts to solve the problem
During the press conference, he also gave the green light to the latest list of 24 products – eight from China and 16 types of biscuits from Malaysia manufacturers, Khong Guan and Khian Guan.
Liow thanked local biscuit manufacturers for support in solving the problem of melamine contamination.
"Almost all companies have shown commitment to solve this issue and will carry a self-risk assessment for each batch of their products in their respective companies. These companies will also have to provide the Ministry with a certification after analysing every batch of products manufactured."
He said the companies also have to send samples of their product to two laboratories approved by the Ministry and if any trace of melamine is found, the entire batch will be confiscated and further tested.
For export, the Ministry will issue a certification on the respective batches only after laboratory test results show no trace of melamine.
The latest products from China cleared by the Ministry were:
- ZQ animal biscuit strawberry cream certified, Four Seas spring onion crackers, Golden Fuji strawberry layer biscuit, Scaro traditional gridle (grape), Mr Bunny Twingo wafer, BEST crispy candy, Polleney soybean powder with green tea and Lady’s Choice super chunk peanut butter.
The products manufactured locally by Khong Guan and Khian Guan which were cleared were:
-Cookie Bis biscuits, funcy cookies biscuits, merlion bis biscuits, snowy short cake biscuits, chocolate shake biscuits, pineapple cracker, chocolate ABC biscuits, small square puff, wafer peanut cream, wafer chocolate cream, sweet lemon cream biscuits, nenas cookies, jagung krim biscuits, jem nenas biscuits, butter flavored cookies and chocolate flavored cookies.
- The Sun
MOHD ADHA MOHD ZAIN (ADHA ZAIN)
Blogger Informasi
