Checking for authenticity: A local company is launching a new‘track and trace’ QR code system for premium Malaysia durians this current fruiting season which is expected to last until this February. — ONG SOON HIN/The Star
PETALING JAYA: It smells good. It tastes great. And the sellers says it’s the premium stuff from Penang.
But are you sure? Can you really tell whether the durian you are eating is a Musang King, a D24 or just a kampung fruit being passed off as premium variety?
Concerns over quality control and mislabelling of the “king of fruits” are becoming increasingly urgent.
And Penang, which is famous for its durians from Balik Pulau, is now pushing a “track and trace” mechanism for durians called Mi-Trace to combat fraud and misrepresentation through a system that allows for the verification of the origin of the fruits.
The initiative, developed by the state government and Mimos Sdn Bhd, came in response to complaints from growers about misrepresentation and false labelling, said state agrotechnology, food security and cooperative development committee chairman Fahmi Zainol.
“There have been many cases where durians from elsewhere are marketed as ‘Balik Pulau’ durians. Some vendors even sell Thai durians by the roadside and claim they are from Penang,” he said.The new track and trace system was rolled out in June by the Agriculture Department when it started visiting durian farms.
“We are approaching the larger farms in each district to get them to register their durians,” said Fahmi, adding that the state aims to have at least 75% of the farms in the state in the register by this year’s durian season.
Since June, about 40% of farms have signed up.
Mimos said the Mi-Trace system can be used for both frozen and whole durians, although its applications extend well beyond agriculture.
It added that while there has been no formal investigation into claims of foreign durians being sold as local produce, farmers had raised such concerns since 2012.Mi-Trace allows consumers to verify a product’s authenticity by providing information on its origin, certification and validity.
Using Mi-Trace also allows authorities to monitor a fruit’s movement, condition and status throughout the delivery process.
Mimos said Mi-Trace supports sustainable farming through produce tagging, inventory management, route optimisation and load forecasting.
For premium food exports such as durians, it enhances brand credibility, deters counterfeiting and assures consumers of quality and origin.
The Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi) has expressed support for the initiative and is exploring ways to implement or assist in a similar system nationwide.
In a written response to The Star, Mardi said it is currently conducting research and development to boost Internet of Things (IoT) applications in agriculture, and welcomes inter-agency collaboration to strengthen not just the durian sector, but the agriculture industry as a whole.
Mardi said durian genetics are highly mixed, which causes big differences in their traits.
As such, maintaining the integrity of each clone requires strong safeguards against mislabelling.
“There are concerns about some traders falsely labelling kampung durians as Musang King to fetch higher profits,” it said.
While the country recorded a total output of 568,806.8 tonnes of durian in 2025, Penang is known for its orchards that produce some of Malaysia’s best-loved durians, such as Black Thorn, Musang King and Ang Heh (Red Prawn).
New hybrids, such as Tupai King and Cenderawasih, are also among the latest attractions for durian lovers.
