Malaysia’s health ministry to conduct inspections at Gardenia over consumer complaints

PUTRAJAYA – Malaysia’s Ministry of Health (MOH) is awaiting laboratory analysis results and will conduct follow-up inspections at the Gardenia Bakeries factory in Kuala Lumpur to verify compliance with the country’s Food Act 1983 following complaints of alleged food poisoning involving the company’s products.In a statement on Nov 8, the ministry said preliminary investigations were underway into complaints circulating on social media and media reports of alleged food poisoning after consumption of Gardenia products, particularly Gardenia Original Classic White Bread and Twiggies Choc-A-Lot.“MOH has sought an explanation from Gardenia Bakeries (KL). According to the company, its internal investigation found no deviations in production processes, recipe changes or non-compliance with standard operating procedures and food safety controls for the products concerned.“Traceability of the products involved remains limited as the batch numbers and expiry dates provided were incomplete. However, the remaining products and their packaging were collected with the complainants’ consent for laboratory analysis,” MOH said.MOH stressed that the company’s findings were based on its internal investigation and could not yet be used as the basis for a definitive conclusion on the cause of the symptoms reported.The ministry also assured that appropriate enforcement action would be taken if evidence of legal violations or risks to food safety were found.Meanwhile, MOH advised the public against making speculation that could cause confusion, while individuals experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea or discomfort after consuming the suspected products were urged to seek medical attention immediately and report the matter to the nearest District Health Office.Recently, a Threads user claimed to have suffered food poisoning after consuming two Gardenia products, sparking public attention and discussion on social media over their safety. BERNAMA