KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Chemistry Department has verified that meat samples obtained from OldTown White Coffee restaurants do not contain pork DNA, but only traces of chicken DNA.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry enforcement division director Datuk Iskandar Halim Sulaiman said an inspection was conducted following a video that went viral on social media claiming that the curry mee served at one of the outlets contained pork meat.
"During the inspection, (ministry officers from Putrajaya and Selangor) sent meat samples from the restaurant to the Chemistry Department for analysis.
"Based on the results of the analysis, the restaurant owners under investigation did not commit any crime or violate the regulations under the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011 or the Trade Description (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011," he said.
Iskandar gave his assurances the ministry will conduct proactive and consistent monitoring to ensure food and beverage operators comply with halal regulations put in place.
"We also urge consumers to play their part by being responsible and not spread fake news on social media which can create negative and unfair consequences for other people," he said.
On Nov 15, the OldTown White Coffee management said that it was considering legal action against parties which made the false allegations against it.
The management also reaffirmed that all its outlets have had the Malaysian Halal Certification since 2010, and thus, their ingredients for food and beverages do not contain pork and other non-halal items.