Yikes!
Cadbury Confectionery Malaysia Sdn Bhd has recalled two batches of its chocolate varieties which have been tested positive for porcine DNA by the Health Ministry.
In a statement, Cadbury stated that it is going through a full review of the supply chain of its products to ensure all quality standards are met.
“We would like to reassure our consumers that all Cadbury chocolates manufactured in Malaysia are halal-certified by Jakim, which includes the locations and raw materials used in the production of these products.
“We employ stringent quality procedures to ensure that our products are of the highest standard of safety and quality,” it said.
On Saturday, the Health Ministry had confirmed that non-halal elements were found in Cadbury Dairy Hazelnut and Cadbury Dairy Milk Roast Almond.
Ministry director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said in a statement that the tests were conducted following speculation on social media on May 23, alleging that the chocolates contained porcine DNA.
He said samples from two types of chocolate out of three analysed tested positive for porcine DNA. They were Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut, with batch number 200813M01H I2 that expires on Nov 13, 2014, and Cadbury Dairy Milk Roast Almond, with batch number 221013N01R I1 that expires on Jan 15, 2015.
The third sample of Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate did not contain any non-halal elements.
Noor Hisham added that Cadbury Confectionery Malaysia Sdn Bhd has assured that it will recall these products from the market immediately.
“The Health Ministry advises the public to read the batch number on the product’s label before buying and consuming it,” he said.
An NGO, Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) said it plans to sue Cadbury Confectionery Malaysia following the discovery.