1 Malaysia milk products safe for consumption, says Health Ministry

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

November 23, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 – The Health Ministry has declared the 1 Malaysia milk products safe for public consumption and blamed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for “confusing” the public on the matter.

DAP’s Tony Pua recently claimed the 1 Malaysia Growing Up Milk Powder did not contain at least 15 of the legally required nutrients and carried 6,012 international units (IU) of Vitamin A per 100kcal — 802 per cent above the permissible limit.

He had also claimed earlier this month that tests by two certified laboratories had detected the presence of E. coli and a higher than permitted amount of coliform in the own-brand fresh milk sold at Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia outlets.

Strains of E. coli can cause food poisoning if ingested by humans.

“We have verified and analysed the product for its Vitamin A levels and found that it carried 3240 I.U./ 100g, which is not above the 5,000 I.U.

“The claims by some people that the milk contains an excess of Vitamin A is not true,” Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (picture) told reporters.

Liow also said six other Kedai 1 Malaysia products had been tested and one of them – Sos Tiram 1 Malaysia had failed to abide by the standard protein level permitted.

“I would like to ask for Tony Pua’s cooperation. If there is any product which he has doubts on, he should send it to the ministry for checks, he cannot take action on his own because he is not an expert in it,” added Liow.

Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers have accused the government of taking advantage of the poor by selling them “substandard products” at Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia, launched in June by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The prime minister launched the first of three shops now operating in the Klang Valley in response to rising inflation, which hit a two-year high of 3.5 per cent that same month.

Kedai Rakyat offers 250 generic products like rice, oil, flour, bread, eggs, milk powder and diapers at prices 30 to 40 per cent lower than market rates, as well as branded goods.

The government plans to set up more outlets in other locations, similar to the 1 Malaysia clinics the Najib administration has established in states like Sabah and Sarawak.