KUCHING: The Magistrate’s Court fined a food import company RM4,000 for selling fresh mandarin oranges containing pesticide levels above the permitted limit.
The company’s representative pleaded guilty before Magistrate Mason Jaro Lenya Barayan to the charge under Regulation 397(1) of the Food Regulations 1985 and punishable under Regulation 397(2) of the same regulations.
According to the case facts, a sample of fresh mandarin oranges imported from a foreign country by the company was sent for laboratory analysis on Dec 20, 2024.
The test results revealed the fruit contained 0.02 milligrammes per kilogramme of a scheduled pesticide — Organophosphorus / Chlorpyrifos— exceeding the permitted limit under Regulation 41(3)(c) of the Food Regulations 1985.
The regulation states that no person shall prepare food for sale containing 0.01 milligrammes or more per kilogramme of any pesticide, unless the pesticide is listed for that specific food under the 16th Schedule or Codex Alimentarius.
During the proceedings, prosecuting officer Mohd Fairos Ibrahim from the Kuching Division Health Office’s Inspectorate and Legal Unit told the court that prolonged and excessive exposure to pesticides can cause harm to human organs.
He urged the court to impose an appropriate sentence as a deterrent, not only to the company but also to other food importers to exercise caution and take necessary steps before bringing food products into Malaysia.