KUALA LUMPUR: The government has warned against the use of discriminatory "Palm Oil Free" labels on products based on the commodity, with those found guilty can be fined up to RM250,000.
The use of labels on products that discriminate against palm oil such as "palm oil free" is prohibited under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, Plantation and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani said.
Johari said his ministry will work with Domestic Trade and Costs of Living Ministry to enforce the rule and take immediate action against errant traders and marketers.
"The ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living to enforce and take immediate action against supermarkets that market such products," Johari said.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council, he added, had conducted a study to identify products labelled as discriminatory against palm oil in the country.
"Out of 251 premises surveyed around the Klang Valley, 80 were found to display products labelled No Palm Oil," he said in a Facebook post after attending the signing ceremony between FGV Holdings Bhd and Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) on Saturday.
He also launched the new Saji cooking oil, which features the MSPO logo, at Aeon Big Wangsa Maju.
According to Johari, the survey also revealed that imported products from abroad, which have no relevance to palm oil but carry the label "No Palm Oil" as a form of promoting discrimination against palm oil, were found.
He noted that a collaboration with the Customs Department will be established to detain products labelled 'No Palm Oil' at the entry points before they are brought into Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Johari said the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between FGV and MSPO demonstrates a significant initiative in promoting MSPO.
He added that the use of the MSPO logo on Saji cooking oil packaging shows a commitment to compliance with sustainability standards and enhances the brand reputation of FGV products as Malaysia's palm oil exporter to foreign countries.
"This step can also expand the branding of MSPO domestically and internationally, thus strengthening the country's commitment to becoming a sustainable palm oil producer globally," he said.