Malaysia says risk from biscuits low after Hong Kong warning on products by Hup Seng, others
- Hong Kong’s Consumer Council recently said cancer-causing substances were found in 60 samples of biscuits it tested, including those made by Hup Seng Industries
- But a Malaysian official says data since 2015 shows acrylamide levels in biscuit products meet the standards set by the EU Commission Regulation
Health risk from cancer-causing substances in some ingredients used in biscuits is low, Malaysia’s Health Director General Noor Hisham Abdullah has said.
Monitoring of biscuit products by the health ministry’s food safety and quality division since 2015 found that the average level of acrylamide was 246 microgram per kilo, below the 350 microgram level set by the European Union Commission Regulation, Noor Hisham said in a statement on Wednesday.
Last week, the Hong Kong Consumer Council said that carcinogens like glycidol and acrylamide were found in 60 samples of biscuits it tested, including those made by Malaysia’s Hup Seng Industries Bhd.
The consumer watchdog also found that 40 per cent of the products analysed had misleading nutrition labels.
Acrylamide is a contaminant that can be produced during food processing or making the product, though such pollutants can be controlled via selection of appropriate raw materials and processes, Noor Hisham said.