Board records statement in cheap cooking oil issue

Officers from the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) recorded a statement from Malaysian Association of Standards Users chief executive officer Ratna Devi Nadarajan in connection with tests which revealed that cheap cooking oil unfit for human consumption was being sold to the public.


MPOB officers went to the association’s office here yesterday and made copies of proof that samples had been sent for laboratory tests.

“They took down the list of companies involved and also proof of purchase of the samples,” she said, adding that MPOB also obtained the certificate of analysis of tests carried out by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

The Star reported that 19 brands of cooking oil sold nationwide in 1kg packets were found to be unfit for consumption due to repeated exposure to high temperatures.

The association, which pursued the study of the commodity with UKM, believed that the re-packaged oil was meant to be recycled into biodiesel for use in diesel engines.

Ratna Devi stood firm in the association’s decision to send samples of cooking oil for the “polar compound testing”, saying it was a matter of food safety.

She said the association had no intention to attack the palm oil industry, adding that it wanted to see improvements to the regulations pertaining to the standards of cooking oil.

“We only hope the test would bring the serious matter to the attention of the authorities,” she said.

MPOB chairman Datuk Seri Shahrir Samad confirmed that the list of the 19 brands involved had been obtained from the association.

He gave assurance that MPOB was collecting the samples for its own tests.

“It’s not wrong for them to conduct their own tests. We are taking the situation se-riously,” he said

Source: Food Safety Net