PETALING JAYA: Haagen-Dazs ice cream products which were reported to have high levels of carcinogenic element Ethylene Oxide (ETO), have been recalled from sale in the local market, says Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah (pic).
The Health director-general said continuous monitoring would be conducted to ensure such products would not be sold in this country.
"Since the issue was reported and the ministry received a notification in July, relevant actions have been taken by the manufacturer to voluntarily recall the products in the market.
"Continuous monitoring has been done to ensure the products will not be on sale in the country," he said in a statement.
The European Union Rapid Alert Systems for Food and Feed (EURASAFF) in their notification report said that the recall was made after they found that the ice cream products in France contain vanilla extract from Madagascar that has ETO above the permissible limit.
ETO is a chemical gas compound that is carcinogenic and is often used to carry out fumigation to kill pests.
It is also used as an active ingredient in detergents but is not allowed to be used on surfaces that come into contact with food.
Dr Noor Hisham said consumers who have doubts about the products can contact the nearest district health office or send inquiries via the website http://moh.spab.gov.my or the Food Safety and Quality Division's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ bkkmhq.
