Health Ministry to conduct inspections at Gardenia over consumer complaints

PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry is awaiting laboratory analysis results and will conduct follow-up inspections at the Gardenia Bakeries (KL) Sdn Bhd factory to verify compliance with the Food Act 1983.

This is being done following complaints from consumers who reported feeling unwell after eating certain Gardenia products.

In a statement, MoH said preliminary investigations were underway following complaints circulating on social media and media reports of ill effects after the consumption of Gardenia products, particularly Gardenia Original Classic White Bread and Twiggies Choc-A-Lot.

"The ministry has sought an explanation from Gardenia Bakeries (KL). According to the company, its internal investigation found no irregularities in the production process, changes to the recipe or non-compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs) and food safety controls for the products concerned.

"Product traceability efforts remain limited as the manufacturing batch details and expiry dates provided were incomplete. However, the remaining products and their packaging have been collected with the complainants' consent for laboratory analysis," said the ministry.

The ministry said the company's findings were based on its internal investigation and could not yet form the basis for a definitive conclusion on the cause of the reported symptoms.

The ministry also gave its assurance that appropriate enforcement action would be taken if there was evidence of any breach of the law or risks to food safety.

Meanwhile, it advised the public against speculation that could cause confusion.

It advised those experiencing symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea or discomfort after consuming the suspected products to seek medical attention immediately and report the matter to their nearest District Health Office.

Complaints related to food safety can also be submitted through the Public Complaints Management System (SiSPAA) at https://moh.spab.gov.my/ or via the Food Safety and Quality Programme's Facebook page.

Yesterday, Gardenia said it was investigating complaints from consumers following claims on social media that several children had fallen ill after consuming its products.

The company said its team had met with one of the consumers concerned to better understand the reported incident and obtain further information. It had also collected the relevant products for examination as part of its ongoing investigation.