BANNED ANTIBIOTIC IN AYAMAS FOOD PRODUCT

PROHIBITED ....Chicken frankfurter from Ayamas Food Corporation found to have prohibited substance ‘chloramphenicol’

By : ZOEE HILLSON & IRENE C

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.”

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. (BP)