FOMCA CALLS FOR RANDOM CHECKS ON PRODUCE
This follows reports of excessive pesticide found in local iceberg lettuce
THE Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has urged the government to conduct random checks on farms to test vegetables to ensure that they do not contain dangerous levels of pesticide.
Its deputy president, Mohd Yusof Abdul Rahman, said the step was necessary to ensure the safety of consumers.
He said a proportion of local produce which was believed to be going straight into the market without going through proper checks, adding that this occurred due to the high demand for the produce.
“In this issue, Malaysia should follow the example of Singapore, which has long practised stringent checks on produce to ensure that everything follows the republic’s health standards.
“Fomca hopes the authorities will keep a close eye on produce because there is the possibility that some could enter the local market here after being rejected by Singapore,” he told the New Straits Times Press.
Yusof was asked to comment on news that Singapore’s Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) had issued a recall for iceberg lettuce after it detected high levels of pesticide in the vegetable imported from a Malaysian farm.
In a statement on Thursday, AVA said the product was imported by Go Fresh Impex and was to be sold at NTUC Fairprice and Sheng Siong supermarkets.
“AVA has detected high levels of Fipronil, a wide-spectrum pesticide, in (the) iceberg lettuce,” Singapore’s Today Online reported the agency as saying.
Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) senior director Mohd Anis Mohd Yasin said Fama was not responsible for detecting pesticides in produce.
He said Fama was only responsible for packaging produce based on grading, packaging and labeling regulations.
Anis said the matter fell under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry, while the control of pesticides used in farms was under the Agriculture Department.
“If high levels of pesticide are detected in any produce, they will be recalled immediately from the market.
“The Health Ministry will impose penalties on the company based on the Food Regulations 1965 and Food Act 1983.”
He said any produce rejected by Singapore should not be brought back into Malaysia, adding that the Qurantine and Inspection Services Department played an important role in ensuring this.
Health Minister Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry would verify the recall by Singapore and conduct checks before issuing an official statement.