Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk Dr N. Marimuthu. – NSTP file pic
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia needs to review its overall food safety procedures following the New Straits Times’ expose on the meat cartel scandal.
Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association (Fomca) president Datuk Dr N. Marimuthu said while companies could export their produce here, they must ensure safety standards were met.”It (imported food products) can come from any part of the world, but ensuring the food is safe for consumption is of paramount importance, apart from obtaining halal certification,” he said, adding that the recent expose was a wake-up call to place more emphasis on food safety and security.
Published on: Tuesday, December 22, 2020
By: NST
Photo for general illustration: AFP via Getty Images
Kuala Lumpur: The New Straits Times exposé of the activities of a syndicate, which smuggled in non-certified meat and sold it in Malaysia as halal products, has unearthed more startling revelations.
The frozen meat imported by the cartel from non-certified countries is not limited to beef, but also includes horse meat and kangaroo meat.
These items would, upon arrival in Malaysia, be mixed with beef in warehouses nationwide run by the cartel before being sold to unknowing suppliers.
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Sources told the New Straits Times that among the stock they bring in are kangaroo meat, horse meat and beef. However, the beef is from animals of poor quality or even diseased, so it is obtained at much lower prices.