LOCAL CHINESE MEDICINE SHOPS USED TO SELL FAKE BABY FORMULA
Parents, Netizens urge authorities to find and remove all fake products
We admit that the picture of the store that went viral is ours and we are working with the ministry to get to the bottom of this incident. We are also in the dark over the existence of fake formulas among the baby products that were sent to our shop.
Shop worker
ASYNDICATE is believed to be behind the distribution of a fake premium infant formula brand in Chinese medicine shops and grocery stores in Johor.
State Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry officers had followed leads to five retail outlets in Iskandar Puteri, Mutiara Rini, Taman Orkid, Nusa Bestari and Taman Daya.
The shops were raided after the ministry’s enforcement unit conducted a four-month surveillance on each outlet, a source revealed.
The ministry’s state enforcement chief Aris Mamat said details of the investigations were confidential as it was ongoing.
He said it was procedure not to disclose the name of the shops being investigated as the ministry had yet to complete its probe, pending test results of the seized baby formulas from the Chemistry Department.
“Normally, it would take two weeks for tests to be completed, and when we obtain the results, we will take action and wait for further instructions from our headquarters,” he said.
State health director Dr Roshaimi Merican A. Rahim Merican said the Health Department would act once the ministry completed it’s investigation.
Meanwhile, scores of aggravated parents and those concerned with the risk to infants consuming the fake baby formula had created a frenzy on social media.
Many urged the authorities to act swiftly in locating all fake baby milk products and remove them from the market before untoward incidents happen.
Besides grouses from parents, Netizens had also identified one Chinese medicine shop that was being investigated for suspicion of selling the fake baby formula.
Some community pages on Facebook had uploaded photos of the shop, warning consumers against buying infant formulas from the outlet.
A check by the
New Straits Times
found the pictured outlet operating in Nusa Bestari, which was among the shops raided on Dec 7.
An employee at the Nusa Bestari shop said he was aware of the shop’s picture going viral as well as Netizens’ remarks lashing out at the shopowner, who he claimed was his father.
The man, in his 20s and wanted to remain anonymous, said he fully understood that the discovery of the fake formula had upset many, especially parents and customers, who had bought the fake product at his shop.
“We admit that the picture of the store that went viral is ours and we are working with the ministry to get to the bottom of this.
“We are also in the dark over the existence of fake formulas among the baby products that were sent to our shop.”
He said despite the negative remarks, the five shops were still selling real baby formula, which he claimed had been scrutinised and checked by ministry officers during the raid, and were allowed to be sold.
A check showed that a 1.8kg pack of the premium baby formula was sold at the shop for RM189.90.
The boxes were placed in a locked shelf, together with other brands of baby milk and infant formula.