The Department of Health (DOH) has asked the Malaysian government to correct a statement over the source of Malaysia-imported biscuits’ cheese filling that was found laced with the industrial chemical melamine in late September, DOH spokesman Wang Je-chau (王哲超) said.
Wang was referring to the recall of Regimen House Milk Sandwich Biscuits by Costco Wholesale Taiwan.
The biscuits were imported by Taiwan’s Golden Kestrel Co from Malaysia’s Kee Wee Hup Kee Food Manufacture, Wang said.
According to Wang, a report by Malaysia’s Sin Chew Daily cited Malaysian Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai on Oct. 4 saying that the problematic biscuits were produced with Taiwanese ingredients.
Liow also pointed out that the Malaysian food manufacturer Kee Wee Hup Kee was only responsible for packing and exporting the products, Wang said, citing the report.
However, Wang said investigations by the DOH’s Bureau of Food Sanitation and Taiwan’s economic and cultural offices in Malaysia and Singapore showed that the biscuits did not contain ingredients from Taiwan.
Wang said that Hong Kong’s Joinfair Enterprises Co purchased cheese powder for the biscuits’ fillings from China-based Zengcheng Handyware Seasoning Co, and mailed or hand-carried the ingredients to Malaysia’s Kee Wee Hup Kee, which produced the biscuits with the cheese powder from China and other ingredients bought in Malaysia, and exported the product to Taiwan.
The Malaysian official’s statement and Chew Daily’s report harmed Taiwan’s image, Wang said.
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