BUTTERWORTH: Disgusting!
That was how the situation at a coffee processing factory here following checks by the authorities in a joint operation where they found rat droppings at the premise.
The joint operation was conducted by North Seberang Perai district health department, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry (KPDNHEP) and Penang Islamic Religious Department (JHEAIPP).
A source said that the factory of the well-known coffee brand was raided following a tip-off on the cleanliness of the premise.
The authorities found a pile of rat droppings nearby the coffee bean-making section at the factory.
“It was so gross because the rat droppings and the coffee beans look almost the same and they were found near the coffee bean processing area.
“We had a tough time to determine if the droppings had mixed with the beans, but they are found near the wall,” said the source.
The factory, which had been operating for 69 years, was ordered to close for two weeks and the case is being investigated under Section 11 of Food Act 1983 for closure of insanitary premises whereby if the operators continue with their business, they will be charged in court.
North Seberang Perai KPDNHEP operation chief officer Zalina Aziz said they raided three premises, including two coffee processing factories here.
In the third raid at another coffee processing factory at Taman Industri Teras Jaya, they seized 10 boxes of coffee packets with fake halal logo which was pasted separately.
“The halal logo was pasted on top of the coffee label and following checks, the ‘Assam Tea’ brand is not halal certified.
“The operator’s action to paste the halal logo as such is dubious as it can be peeled off,” she said.
She said the agency takes the issue of using fake halal logo on food and drinks packets seriously as it involves the interest of the Muslim community.
The case is being investigated under Paragraph 8 of the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011 for flouting Paragraph 4 (1) of the same order.
For the second raid, KPDNHEP issued RM13,000 fine for a restaurant for stocking up items over the allowed limit.
“The nasi kandar restaurant kept flour over the allowed limit. They are allowed to keep 5,000kg of wheat flour but checks found that they have 7,500kg of it.
The case is investigated under Paragraph 10(1) of Control of Supplies 1974.