Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Inside Scoop stop selling ‘Pei Pa Koa’-laced ice-cream 24 hours after launching limited edition

 

PREMIUM ice-cream chain Inside Scoop has recalled its new craze, limited edition Ubat Batuk Cap Ibu dan Anak (Pei Pa Koa)-inspired is-cream storewide after the Health Ministry (MOH) prohibited the sale of such product effective yesterday (July 30).

The home-grown ice cream chain’s marketing director Andrew Hong told the New Straits Times (NST) that Inside Scoop has since instructed all its 49 stores to take down the Pei Pa Koa-flavoured ice cream immediately.

For context, MOH has imposed a ban on the viralled ice-cream which comes with a syringe containing the Pei Pa Koa cough syrup for contravening Section 13B(2) of the Food Act 1983 whereby a person who prepares or sells adulterated food is liable to a fine not exceeding RM20,000 or to a jail term not exceeding five years or both.

Hong further shared with mainstream NST that Inside Scoop assumed it was fine to introduce a flavour laced with the Ubat Batuk Cap Ibu dan Anak cough syrup as other ice cream chains in the region were also doing the same.

“It is known to be a hot-selling flavour in Singapore and this inspired Inside Scoop to churn out its very own Pei Pa Koa-flavour locally before it was launched on Monday (July 29),” he revealed.

“We were genuinely unaware of the MOH’s regulation against mixing the Pei Pa Koa cough syrup with food products which is violation of the Section 13B(2) of the Food Act 1983. We regret the mistake on our part and will make sure to be extra careful/mindful in the future not to repeat the mistake.”

The Ubat Batuk Cap Ibu dan Anak or Nin Jiom Herbal Cough Syrup is a popular traditional Chinese natural herbal remedy in Southeast Asia for the relief of sore throat, coughs, hoarseness and aphonia.

Inside Scoop was founded by Malaysian couple Edmund Tan Jun Hua and his wife Lim Shiew Li who opened their first store in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

On Feb 15 last year, integrated dairy product player Farm Fresh Bhd inked a share purchase agreement with Tan, Wu Chuang Yang (Derrick) and Harsh Rajpal to acquire 53% equity stake of The Inside Scoop Sdn Bhd for RM68.4 mil (via RM48.4 mil cash with the balance RM20 mil via issuance of 13.2 million new Farm Fresh shares at RM1.52 each).

As for the fate of the trending Pei Pa Koa-flavoured ice-cream, MOH has also instructed Inside Scoop to stop broadcasting/promoting the product on both the e-commerce and social media platform. – Focus Malaysia

Editor’s Note: The main image is for display only. Inside Scoop has since taken down the social media post.

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