Company refutes allegations squid rings made from pig intestines

 

A rumour that went viral on social media about squid rings made from pig intestines has resulted in the government being urged to investigate the matter.

Shen Hua Resources CEO Rodney Soon said two netizens posted on Facebook unfounded rumours concerning the squid rings produced by its parent company, Dayou Group, in China.

In a press conference today, Soon said the baseless allegations caused panic among consumers and damaged the image and sales of the company's products resulting in considerable business losses.

He said the company will take the necessary actions to counter the allegation that the squid rings were made from pig intestines, including legal action.

Also present at today’s press conference were Shandong Halal Certification Services chief representative in Malaysia Abd Aziz Jamaluddin, Shen Hua Resources director Koh Sing Yee and seafood distributor Khor Beng Teck & Son Fisheries Sdn Bhd manager Alicia Khor.

Soon said a police report has been made against the internet users making the allegations.

He urged the police and Communications and Multimedia Ministry to investigate and clear the reputations of Shen Hua and Dayou through the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Soon said the company would also present the case to the Public Complaints Bureau of the Prime Minister's Office "to help us give the public the truth as soon as possible".

During the press conference, he showed the production process of the squid rings and the halal certification obtained for the products.

No report from investigations

According to the halal certification documents provided, the squid rings were certified by Shandong Halal Certification Services Sdn Bhd (SHC), which was appointed by the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) as the foreign halal certification body in China.

While endorsing the Dayou squid rings, Aziz stressed that the best way to get to the bottom of the issue was to send the product for testing.

"To solve this problem, it's as simple as taking all the imported squid rings in containers and sending them for testing," he said.

Soon said the company would cooperate with the authorities to counter the allegations.

He also expressed dissatisfaction with investigations launched by Jakim and the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry.

He said both bodies launched investigations in several states, including Kedah and Selangor, and had obtained samples for testing.

However, Soon pointed out that even after five days since the start of the allegations, no report has been produced, making it impossible for the company to counter the accusations.

He added that the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry had also summoned traders for questioning, which was unnecessary harassment and unfair to them.

Soon called on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to take note of the situation and ensure the inspection report would be released as soon as possible. - Mkini