BUKIT MERTAJAM – A coffee and tea processing factory here was ordered to close for two weeks by the state Health Department due to halal and cleanliness issues, including the finding of a dead rat in its store.
The department’s food safety and quality division head, Mohd Wazir Khalid, said investigators found that the factory has been using the halal logo without certification.
“This factory does not have halal certification, so it cannot use halal logo stickers on any of its products.
“Besides that, the equipment used in this factory does not comply with the standards set because some equipment is made of stainless steel and some made of wood.
“The floor in this factory is also dirty and we are worried that its products are exposed to contamination,” he said at a press conference after the raid today.
Wazir said the factory, which distributes coffee and tea products nationwide, was found to have violated the regulation on original equipment manufacturers.
“We have also taken samples of tea products to analyse whether they contain permitted colouring.”
He said the department issued the factory with three compounds totalling RM5,000 for two offences for employing workers who did not take their typhoid injections, and one offence of not wearing proper personal protective equipment suits.
“The premises were ordered to close for two weeks under Section 11, Food Act 1983 for cleaning work.”
Today's operation was joined by officers from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry in Penang and Seberang Prai City Council’s licensing division. – The Vibes, May 26, 2022
