7FoodPillars

21 July 2017

RM2 million-worth of meat was seized by the Department of Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services (MAQIS) in Gelang Patah, Johor last Monday after inspection of the consignment found Halal meat and non-halal meat were stored together inside the same freezer containers.

A worker arranges imported frozen meat at a shop in Ipoh December 28, 2020. — Picture by Farhan Najib (Source: Malay Mail)

Allegations of a giant network selling imported meat passed off as halal with the help of corrupt government officials from multiple agencies triggered widespread alarm in Muslim-majority Malaysia since end of year 2020.

A team of researchers from the National University of Singapore (NUS) found presence of pig DNA in cuttlefish and prawn balls manufactured by a seafood brand in Singapore.

The researchers discovered that all five samples of the same seafood brand were contaminated with pork DNA, which were bought at different times and places. “We have detected porcine DNA in fish ball products which are not halal-certified. The presence of porcine DNA in these non-halal products could be due to manufacturing processes. For example, a food manufacturing plant may produce a wide range of products, including seafood and pork products. As such, trace levels of porcine DNA may be introduced into the seafood products,” Singapore Food Agency said.

In George Town, Penang, the Penang Consumers Association (CAP) reported that muslims should be careful when eating fish because certain farms are using non-halal animal by-products to feed the fishes.

This is because the CAP president claimed that in the past, there were cases of fish farms using swine meat and organs as fish feed. It was reported that in 2009, some fish farms around Malaysia were found to have used wastewater from swine farms in their fish feed. In 2013, a similar case occurred in which a fish farmer was convicted of feeding his cultivated fish with pig intestines.

The Ministry of Public Health of Qatar has stated that high protein bars from Mars, Bounty, Snickers, and Milky Way are banned in Qatar because it contains protein from non-halal source.

These products do not comply with the halal requirements observed by Muslims and were recalled from the market. However, the regular products (chocolate bars) from the same brand, differ from these high protein chocolate bars and are still allowed to be sold in the market.