KUALA LUMPUR: The Haagen-Dazs vanilla flavour ice cream products which were reported to have high levels of carcinogenic element Ethylene Oxide (ETO) have been pulled from supermarket shelves, said Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
In a statement today, Dr Noor Hisham said the decision was made based on the notification from the European Union Rapid Alerts Systems for Food and Feed.
The notification, he said, had stated that there was a recall of the ice cream product from France containing vanilla extract from Madagascar, which was found to contain ETO above the permitted level.
"Since the matter was reported and the notification was received by the Health Ministry in July 2022, the importing company had taken the appropriate action by voluntarily withdrew the said ice cream product from the market.
"Continuous monitoring is also implemented to ensure that the products involved will not be marketed in the country," said Dr Noor Hisham.
He explained that ETO was a chemical gas compound that was carcinogenic and was often used to carry out fumigation to kill pests such as insects.
ETO is also used as an active ingredient in detergents, but is not allowed to be used on surfaces that come in contact with food, he said.
"The Health Ministry is always aware and concerned about things that could threaten consumers' health.
"If in doubt of the branded products being sold, consumers can contact the nearest district health office, make inquiries through the website http://moh.spab.gov.my or the Food Safety and Quality Division Facebook page, www.facebook/com/bkkmhq."