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Oct 30, 2008
Julie's biscuits banned
S'pore importer faces $500,000 loss after AVA finds melamine in some of its items
By Tessa Wong
Cans and boxes of Julie's biscuits spilling out from the warehouse of Singapore importer Li Ann Foodstuff after the products were recalled. All the products, even those not contaminated with melamine, will be destroyed in the next few weeks. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK
EVERY day since last Saturday, trucks packed with cartons of recalled stock have been rolling up at a 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Tuas already nearly filled to the brim.
Mr Simon Lim, owner of Li Ann Foodstuff, is trying to be optimistic, but it is difficult.
As the sole importer of well-known Malaysian biscuit brand Julie's, the company is now facing a loss of up to half a million dollars, after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) announced last Friday that 12 Julie's confectionery items were contaminated with melamine.
As a precaution, the food safety authority immediately banned all Julie's products.
The brand makes up nearly 80 per cent of Li Ann's range.
'It's painful. After all, the brand's been in Singapore for so many years. We apologise to all our affected customers,' Mr Lim, 65, told The Straits Times.
All the products, even those that are not contaminated, will be gradually destroyed over the next few weeks. Mr Lim was unable to give an estimate of the total volume, but the 10,000 sq ft warehouse is holding just half of the recalled stock, and he needs more space fast.
Along with five other biscuit products from Malaysia, the 12 affected Julie's products form the first batch of non-China goods found tainted with melamine in Singapore since the worldwide food scandal started last month.
While the furore previously centred on melamine-tainted milk, it appears that the potentially harmful chemical has now worked its way into other substances.
The AVA said that the contamination in the Malaysian biscuits seems to have stemmed from tainted ammonium bicarbonate, which is used as a raising agent in confectionery.
According to Li Ann, nearly 90 per cent of Malaysian biscuit manufacturers use this raising agent, sometimes sourced from China, as an ingredient.
Julie's Malaysian manufacturer Perfect Food is now rushing out new batches made with leavening agents from Germany and Japan, and the new products may be available as soon as in five weeks' time.
The AVA confirmed it would allow the import of Julie's biscuits once it is sure they are safe.
Mr Lim acknowledged that customers might turn to other brands in the meantime, but said he was confident they would return to Julie's.
'We're not worried. We've been on the market for so long and our products are delicious,' he said.
Mr Lim started importing the biscuits in 1980 under their former name PFI. In 1987, it was rebranded as Julie's.
Since the AVA's latest announcement, manufacturers and importers have been scrambling to check whether their products contain leavening agents from China.
Kraft Foods said it used ammonium bicarbonate from many countries, including China, but its tests on the ingredient have proved it is clean.
Meanwhile, Yamakawa Trading, which brings in popular Japanese food brands such as Morinaga, said it had certified with its suppliers that all their ingredients are from Japan.
Other manufacturers, like Mars, which makes products such as Snickers, Mars and M&Ms, have confirmed that they do not use any raising agents at all.
Oct 30, 2008
Julie's biscuits banned
S'pore importer faces $500,000 loss after AVA finds melamine in some of its items
Cans and boxes of Julie's biscuits spilling out from the warehouse of Singapore importer Li Ann Foodstuff after the products were recalled. All the products, even those not contaminated with melamine, will be destroyed in the next few weeks. -- ST PHOTO: BRYAN VAN DER BEEK
EVERY day since last Saturday, trucks packed with cartons of recalled stock have been rolling up at a 10,000 sq ft warehouse in Tuas already nearly filled to the brim.
Mr Simon Lim, owner of Li Ann Foodstuff, is trying to be optimistic, but it is difficult.
As the sole importer of well-known Malaysian biscuit brand Julie's, the company is now facing a loss of up to half a million dollars, after the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) announced last Friday that 12 Julie's confectionery items were contaminated with melamine.
As a precaution, the food safety authority immediately banned all Julie's products.
The brand makes up nearly 80 per cent of Li Ann's range.
'It's painful. After all, the brand's been in Singapore for so many years. We apologise to all our affected customers,' Mr Lim, 65, told The Straits Times.
All the products, even those that are not contaminated, will be gradually destroyed over the next few weeks. Mr Lim was unable to give an estimate of the total volume, but the 10,000 sq ft warehouse is holding just half of the recalled stock, and he needs more space fast.
Along with five other biscuit products from Malaysia, the 12 affected Julie's products form the first batch of non-China goods found tainted with melamine in Singapore since the worldwide food scandal started last month.
While the furore previously centred on melamine-tainted milk, it appears that the potentially harmful chemical has now worked its way into other substances.
The AVA said that the contamination in the Malaysian biscuits seems to have stemmed from tainted ammonium bicarbonate, which is used as a raising agent in confectionery.
According to Li Ann, nearly 90 per cent of Malaysian biscuit manufacturers use this raising agent, sometimes sourced from China, as an ingredient.
Julie's Malaysian manufacturer Perfect Food is now rushing out new batches made with leavening agents from Germany and Japan, and the new products may be available as soon as in five weeks' time.
The AVA confirmed it would allow the import of Julie's biscuits once it is sure they are safe.
Mr Lim acknowledged that customers might turn to other brands in the meantime, but said he was confident they would return to Julie's.
'We're not worried. We've been on the market for so long and our products are delicious,' he said.
Mr Lim started importing the biscuits in 1980 under their former name PFI. In 1987, it was rebranded as Julie's.
Since the AVA's latest announcement, manufacturers and importers have been scrambling to check whether their products contain leavening agents from China.
Kraft Foods said it used ammonium bicarbonate from many countries, including China, but its tests on the ingredient have proved it is clean.
Meanwhile, Yamakawa Trading, which brings in popular Japanese food brands such as Morinaga, said it had certified with its suppliers that all their ingredients are from Japan.
Other manufacturers, like Mars, which makes products such as Snickers, Mars and M&Ms, have confirmed that they do not use any raising agents at all.
..At this rate, supermarkets will have nothing to keep on its shelves :(
