PUTRAJAYA: The Ministry of Health (MOH) has announced that an investigation found the eyeball-shaped gummy candy product to be in violation of labelling requirements under the Food Regulations 1985 of the Food Act 1983 [Act 281].
MOH stated that the size or shape of food products is generally not regulated under the Food Regulations 1985, Act 281, except for “controlled jelly confectionery” with a diameter of 45 millimetres or less, which must be labelled with: “WARNING: MAY POSE A CHOKING HAZARD” and “NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE”.
“The sale of this product is prohibited on all online platforms and in the domestic market. Enforcement action, including product seizure, will be carried out in accordance with the regulations,” MOH said in a statement today.
At the same time, MOH urged the public, especially parents, to monitor and advise children to be more cautious in selecting food, particularly food that poses a choking risk, as this is a significant risk among infants and young children.
“The risk increases when food is not properly chewed or swallowed whole. Choking incidents are more common with food that is hard, chewy, small and round, which can easily become lodged in the airway,” the statement noted.
MOH emphasised that consumption of any food by children must always be under the supervision of parents or guardians.
“MOH will continue to conduct food safety monitoring and enforcement activities while taking preventive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” it stated.
The ministry also expressed its sympathy and condolences to the family of Mohammad Fahmi Hafiz Mohammad Fakhruddin, the 10-year-old student who choked after consuming the eyeball-shaped gummy candy and passed away last night.
Mohammad Fahmi Hafiz, a standard four student at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dua in Butterworth, was in critical condition after choking on the gummy candy that he had purchased before attending his Quran and Fardu Ain (KAFA) class at 2.30 pm on Tuesday.
He passed away while receiving treatment in the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Penang Hospital around 11 pm last night.
