KUCHING: An assistant minister has called for all food products containing high levels of antibiotics to be removed from shelves.
Assistant public health minister Dr Jerip Susil said consumption of chloramphenicol in large amounts was harmful to health.
He was commenting on the state veterinary authority's recent suspension of the import of whole chicken and other poultry products from peninsula-based Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd after laboratory tests showed that chicken frankfurter from the company contained the antibiotic, chloramphenicol.
The ban came into effect on Nov 1.
“The sample contained more (chloramphenicol) than the normal level,” he said yesterday.
Dr Jerip appealed to retailers to abide by the suspension order.
Meanwhile, Ayamas said the suspension order had caught the company by surprise.
“This is because we do not use chloramphenicol or other banned antibiotics in our system or during the production of our products.
“Our routine internal tests also did not reveal any evidence of usage of such antibiotics in the raw materials that we use,” the company said in a press statement.
Ayamas said it would carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Remove banned food products from shelves, says Jerip
KUCHING: An assistant minister has called for all food products containing high levels of antibiotics to be removed from shelves.
Assistant public health minister Dr Jerip Susil said consumption of chloramphenicol in large amounts was harmful to health.
He was commenting on the state veterinary authority's recent suspension of the import of whole chicken and other poultry products from peninsula-based Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd after laboratory tests showed that chicken frankfurter from the company contained the antibiotic, chloramphenicol.
The ban came into effect on Nov 1.
“The sample contained more (chloramphenicol) than the normal level,” he said yesterday.
Dr Jerip appealed to retailers to abide by the suspension order.
Meanwhile, Ayamas said the suspension order had caught the company by surprise.
“This is because we do not use chloramphenicol or other banned antibiotics in our system or during the production of our products.
“Our routine internal tests also did not reveal any evidence of usage of such antibiotics in the raw materials that we use,” the company said in a press statement.
Ayamas said it would carry out a thorough investigation into the matter.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Ayamas chicken frankfurter taken off shelves by Peter Boon, reporters@theborneopost.com. Posted on November 6, 2012, Tuesday Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/06/ayamas-chicken-frankfurter-taken-off-shelves
SIBU: Supermarket, wet market and grocery shop operators quickly removed chicken frankfurter produced by Ayamas Food Corporation from their shelves yesterday after news broke that the State Veterinary Authority had detected the prohibited antibiotic ‘chloramphenicol’ in a sample of chicken frankfurter during random testing recently.
Some of the operators went one step further by removing all products from Ayamas on their shelves even though Ayamas issued a statement through Bernama yesterday that it did not use chloramphenicol or other banned antibiotics in its products.
The Borneo Post front-paged the shocking discovery yesterday and the Health Department has directed its enforcement personnel to ensure that all Ayamas chicken frankfurter were off the shelves.
Health Department director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan confirmed yesterday that all its enforcement officers throughout the state had been mobilised to look into the situation.
“We can take action …but usually we will seal and destroy the items,” he said.
Asked about the possible health effects of consuming ‘chloramphenicol’, he warned that it would have long term effects on bacterial resistance.
When contacted, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) state director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said there was no instruction to go down to the ground thus far.
“We can start taking action against the perpetrators once there is a directive, for example from the Ministry of Health,” said Wan Uzir.
On Saturday, Assistant Minister for Agriculture (Research and Marketing) Datuk Mong Dagang said the tainted sample was from a batch which was imported into the state from Peninsular Malaysia through Bintulu.
The Veterinary Authority in Kuala Lumpur confirmed the detection and the state immediately suspended the import of Ayamas products, while the state Veterinary Authority forwarded a notice of the suspension of importation of Ayamas products to importers on Nov 1.
But Ayamas general manager (Group Corporate Communications) Rosniza Baharum yesterday expressed surprise at the suspension.
“Our routine internal tests also do not reveal any evidence of usage of such antibiotics in the raw materials we use,” she said in the statement.
Nevertheless, she said, Ayamas was taking the matter very seriously and would carry out a thorough investigation into it to resolve the issue which had gone viral on Facebook.
“At Ayamas, we implement the most stringent quality control measures to ensure that only top quality food products leave our plants, and wish to let our customers know that nothing is more important to us than food safety and their health,” she added.
Meanwhile, staff of a supermarket here said they became aware of the tainted food after reading The Borneo Post yesterday.
“We have removed this product in the interest of consumer safety. We will comply with any directive from the authorities for we do not want to land in hot soup,” he said on condition of anonymity.
At another supermarket, its supervisor, who too requested anonymity, said all Ayamas products had been removed from the shelves and would be sent back to Ayamas upon the instruction of his manager.
To prove that he was not lying, he showed an invoice which indicates the items to be returned.
“We do not want to take any risk,” she said.
A senior executive of a departmental store, surnamed Chua, disclosed that he had instructed his staff to remove all Ayamas chicken frankfurter from their shelves.
“We sell other brands too and will return the affected products to the supplier.”
A chicken vendor at Sibu Central Market, Ting Leong Sing, said his business was not affected by the incident.
“People are not shying away as locally produced chicken remained among key dishes at home and restaurants,” said Ting, echoing Mong’s statement that all chicken products produced in the country were safe for consumption, except those from Ayamas.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/06/ayamas-chicken-frankfurter-taken-off-shelves/#ixzz2BOREdXMa
Some of the operators went one step further by removing all products from Ayamas on their shelves even though Ayamas issued a statement through Bernama yesterday that it did not use chloramphenicol or other banned antibiotics in its products.
The Borneo Post front-paged the shocking discovery yesterday and the Health Department has directed its enforcement personnel to ensure that all Ayamas chicken frankfurter were off the shelves.
Health Department director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan confirmed yesterday that all its enforcement officers throughout the state had been mobilised to look into the situation.
“We can take action …but usually we will seal and destroy the items,” he said.
Asked about the possible health effects of consuming ‘chloramphenicol’, he warned that it would have long term effects on bacterial resistance.
When contacted, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) state director Wan Ahmad Uzir Wan Sulaiman said there was no instruction to go down to the ground thus far.
“We can start taking action against the perpetrators once there is a directive, for example from the Ministry of Health,” said Wan Uzir.
On Saturday, Assistant Minister for Agriculture (Research and Marketing) Datuk Mong Dagang said the tainted sample was from a batch which was imported into the state from Peninsular Malaysia through Bintulu.
The Veterinary Authority in Kuala Lumpur confirmed the detection and the state immediately suspended the import of Ayamas products, while the state Veterinary Authority forwarded a notice of the suspension of importation of Ayamas products to importers on Nov 1.
But Ayamas general manager (Group Corporate Communications) Rosniza Baharum yesterday expressed surprise at the suspension.
“Our routine internal tests also do not reveal any evidence of usage of such antibiotics in the raw materials we use,” she said in the statement.
Nevertheless, she said, Ayamas was taking the matter very seriously and would carry out a thorough investigation into it to resolve the issue which had gone viral on Facebook.
“At Ayamas, we implement the most stringent quality control measures to ensure that only top quality food products leave our plants, and wish to let our customers know that nothing is more important to us than food safety and their health,” she added.
Meanwhile, staff of a supermarket here said they became aware of the tainted food after reading The Borneo Post yesterday.
“We have removed this product in the interest of consumer safety. We will comply with any directive from the authorities for we do not want to land in hot soup,” he said on condition of anonymity.
At another supermarket, its supervisor, who too requested anonymity, said all Ayamas products had been removed from the shelves and would be sent back to Ayamas upon the instruction of his manager.
To prove that he was not lying, he showed an invoice which indicates the items to be returned.
“We do not want to take any risk,” she said.
A senior executive of a departmental store, surnamed Chua, disclosed that he had instructed his staff to remove all Ayamas chicken frankfurter from their shelves.
“We sell other brands too and will return the affected products to the supplier.”
A chicken vendor at Sibu Central Market, Ting Leong Sing, said his business was not affected by the incident.
“People are not shying away as locally produced chicken remained among key dishes at home and restaurants,” said Ting, echoing Mong’s statement that all chicken products produced in the country were safe for consumption, except those from Ayamas.
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/06/ayamas-chicken-frankfurter-taken-off-shelves/#ixzz2BOREdXMa
Banned Chloramphenicol detected in poultry products
KUCHING: A sample of chicken frankfurter product produced by Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd was found to contain the prohibited antibiotic ‘chloramphenicol’ during random testing by the State Veterinary Authority last week.
The detection of the substance has been confirmed by the Veterinary Authority in Kuala Lumpur, said Datuk Mong Dagang, Assistant Minister for Agriculture (Research and Marketing).
Chloramphenicol was previously used to treat diseases in chicks.
However, its use on food-producing animals was not permitted because harmful residues may remain in food products.
Mong told The Borneo Post on Saturday that the batch of chicken frankfurter tested had entered the state from Peninsular Malaysia through Bintulu.
“The State Health Department has been alerted and further action on the sales of products from Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd is up to them,” he said.
Mong added that following the shocking find, the state immediately suspended import of Ayamas products, while the State Veterinary Authority forwarded a notice of the suspension of importation of products from this company to importers on Nov 1.
The notice stated that the importation of whole chicken, poultry meat, poultry meat cut, and poultry meat value-added products (nugget, shelf-stable, bone-in, chunky meat, sausage, burger and meatball) from Ayamas had been suspended with immediate effect, until further notice, due to the detection of the banned substance.
On locally produced chicken products and products, Mong said they were safe for consumption.
“The Veterinary Authority will continue to remain vigilant, and so far locally produced chicken products are safe for consumption. That goes for those from Peninsular Malaysia too … but not from Ayamas.”
Datuk Rohani Karim
Meanwhile, Ayamas products were still on sale yesterday as the Health Department and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry have not given directives for them to be removed.
When met at Giant Hypermarket in Tabuan here yesterday, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Rohani Karim, said that the matter was “quite serious”, but it needed to be probed further.
“We (ministry) have not gotten any letter from the (state) ministry responsible. When we are notified, we will instruct our officers to act. If this is true, it is a serious case because it involves human health.”
Rohani, who is Batang Lupar MP, cautioned that offenders might be prosecuted under the Consumer Protection Act, which carries a maximum penalty of RM100,000 fine or three years in jail.
As for the Health Department, its director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan said on Saturday that his department would conduct another round of tests on Ayamas products to confirm the presence of Chloramphenicol.
“We will have to do some more tests for further confirmation, and if there were Chloramphenicol, then we shall seal the affected products.”
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/05/banned-antibiotic-in-food-product/#ixzz2BOCbLHie
The detection of the substance has been confirmed by the Veterinary Authority in Kuala Lumpur, said Datuk Mong Dagang, Assistant Minister for Agriculture (Research and Marketing).
Chloramphenicol was previously used to treat diseases in chicks.
However, its use on food-producing animals was not permitted because harmful residues may remain in food products.
Mong told The Borneo Post on Saturday that the batch of chicken frankfurter tested had entered the state from Peninsular Malaysia through Bintulu.
“The State Health Department has been alerted and further action on the sales of products from Ayamas Food Corporation Sdn Bhd is up to them,” he said.
Mong added that following the shocking find, the state immediately suspended import of Ayamas products, while the State Veterinary Authority forwarded a notice of the suspension of importation of products from this company to importers on Nov 1.
The notice stated that the importation of whole chicken, poultry meat, poultry meat cut, and poultry meat value-added products (nugget, shelf-stable, bone-in, chunky meat, sausage, burger and meatball) from Ayamas had been suspended with immediate effect, until further notice, due to the detection of the banned substance.
On locally produced chicken products and products, Mong said they were safe for consumption.
“The Veterinary Authority will continue to remain vigilant, and so far locally produced chicken products are safe for consumption. That goes for those from Peninsular Malaysia too … but not from Ayamas.”
Datuk Rohani Karim
Meanwhile, Ayamas products were still on sale yesterday as the Health Department and Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry have not given directives for them to be removed.
When met at Giant Hypermarket in Tabuan here yesterday, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Datuk Rohani Karim, said that the matter was “quite serious”, but it needed to be probed further.
“We (ministry) have not gotten any letter from the (state) ministry responsible. When we are notified, we will instruct our officers to act. If this is true, it is a serious case because it involves human health.”
Rohani, who is Batang Lupar MP, cautioned that offenders might be prosecuted under the Consumer Protection Act, which carries a maximum penalty of RM100,000 fine or three years in jail.
As for the Health Department, its director Datu Dr Zulkifli Jantan said on Saturday that his department would conduct another round of tests on Ayamas products to confirm the presence of Chloramphenicol.
“We will have to do some more tests for further confirmation, and if there were Chloramphenicol, then we shall seal the affected products.”
Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/11/05/banned-antibiotic-in-food-product/#ixzz2BOCbLHie
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Village Chicken at Mongkos
This chicken were seen rooming freely near the canteen.
It is envisaged that demand for village chicken is going to increase as more people prefer to eat food that has been produced naturally. Therefore, village chickens that are produced naturally and spend a lot of time grazing are high on the consumers shopping list. The chickens chewy meat and special taste makes village chicken irresistible to many customers regardless of the premium price they pay for them.
It is envisaged that demand for village chicken is going to increase as more people prefer to eat food that has been produced naturally. Therefore, village chickens that are produced naturally and spend a lot of time grazing are high on the consumers shopping list. The chickens chewy meat and special taste makes village chicken irresistible to many customers regardless of the premium price they pay for them.
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Organic Free Ranch Chicken
This free ranch chicken feeding on organic matter, therefore we call it organic chicken. No antibiotic & vaccination or treatment given. The chicken are very hardy and surviving well in the village.
Friday, August 10, 2012
How To Cook Organic Chicken Using Bambo
Posted on November 10, 2010, Wednesday
KUCHING:
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching’s (BCCK) dining outlet, The Raintree
Restaurant is having its ‘All in Bamboo’ promotion beginning tomorrow
until this November 27.
CREATIVE
PROCESS: Virginia says the culinary team has experimented quite a bit
to ‘fine-tune’ the flavours and textures of the menu for the ‘All In
Bamboo’ promotion.
Sharing her views on the promotion, the
restaurant’s chef de cuisine Virginia Kedit relates that the ‘pansoh’
(traditional cooking method using bamboo) has been the main inspiration
for many of the traditional dishes to be featured in the special menu.
Being
an Iban descendant herself, Virginia has made it clear that it is not a
matter of reinventing the ‘pansoh’; instead, she plans to bring these
‘bamboo cuisine’ dishes to a new height. The following outlines her take
on the ‘pansoh revolution’.
How do you define ‘bamboo cuisine’?
How do you define ‘bamboo cuisine’?
Bamboo
cuisine is about incorporating flavours into local ingredients and
cooking them in bamboo, with a mixture of aromatic spices and various
preparation methods, to give them a new identity and platform to be
appreciated. The sweetness derived from cooking in the bamboo also helps
in giving the dishes that ‘je ne sais quoi’ (I’m not sure what it is).
What are you introducing in the ‘All In Bamboo’ promotion?
We
are introducing local lobster, Norwegian cod fish, organic free-range
spring chicken and palm hearts cooked with different aromatic spices,
which results in distinctive flavours for each dish. Apart from these
ingredients, we are also offering a variety of textures – firmness in
the lobster, delicate Norwegian cod fish and that ‘bite’ in the organic
free-range spring chicken. To complement that Sarawakian
experience, all our main dishes are served with a side of steamed wild
rice and an order of stir-fried ‘midin’ (local spring ferns).
What was the creative process like for you and your team?
We
experimented quite a bit to ‘fine-tune’ the flavours and textures. We
also experimented on cooking in pots as opposed to cooking in the
bamboo. As you would have probably guessed, all items cooked in bamboo
won the taste test.
The main dishes were created first, and the
braised free-range ‘Spring Chicken Coconut in Bamboo’, was the surprise
‘lemak’ (savoury) dish, which made it onto the menu. Initially, we were
going towards a clean, clear-cut profile until we experimented with
coconut milk. After sampling a mouthful, we knew then and there that
this dish deserved to be on the menu.
What is your personal favourite from the “‘All In Bamboo’ promotion, and why? I
am an all-rounder when it comes to meat, but for this promotion,
‘hands-down’ it is the ‘Cod Fish Cooked with Basil Fish Stock in
Bamboo’. This affinity was because I had envisioned the ingredients,
method of preparation and the taste that was to be for this dish prior
to experimenting. Then, after the first run, the end product was close
to 90 per cent perfection. That immediately fuelled the entire creative
process in designing the menu for the promotion.
For desserts, I
always look forward to the tapioca pudding scented with ‘pandan’
(screwpine leaves) flavour. I do enjoy the other two desserts – Avocado
Crème Brulée with Vanilla and Rich Chocolate Truffle with Cocoa Glazing –
but, I just cannot get enough of the pudding.
What would you like diners to The Raintree Restaurant to take away with them with regards to your creations?
I
would like our diners to take away that sense of adventure when they
dine with us. I want for them to know that, at The Raintree Restaurant,
they should feel uninhibited to try not just the usual grilled, but also
the promotion items. And being adventurous ourselves, our diners can be
rest assured of quality food and more amazing creations to follow suit.
Available
for lunch and dinner, the ‘All In Bamboo’ promotion will be specially
accompanied by live music available on Friday and Saturday nights
throughout its promotional period. The Raintree Restaurant opens daily
from 8am to 10pm. For enquiries and reservations, call 082-392988, or
log on to www.bcck.com.my.
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