KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 7): Preliminary check by the Health Ministry (MoH) on the batch of Meadows bottled drinking water from Malaysia which has been recalled from the Singaporean market found that it is not sold in this country.

MoH Food Safety and Quality senior director Mohd Salim Dulatti said the division was in the midst of acquiring further details from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on the product recall.

“The MoH took note on the recall of the product as reported on SFA’s website on Dec 3. The report said SFA has ordered the product to be recalled after it was found to be contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria.

“The product involved is the 1.5L bottle with an expiry date of Nov 9, 2022,” he said in a statement here, today.

The Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria is a common environmental bacterium and can be found in water, faeces, sewage and soil. The bacteria can cause various illnesses in humans, especially those with low immunity system.

“However, food products contaminated with this bacteria seldom cause health problems [in] healthy individuals,” he said.

Mohd Salim said the factory producing the product has the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) certification and licence for packaged drinking water from the ministry.

He stressed that packaged drinking water must comply with Regulation 360B of the Food Regulations 1985 under the Food Act 1983.

Section 13 of Food Act 1983 stipulates that any person who prepares or sells any food that contains any substance which is poisonous, harmful or injurious to health shall be liable to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or a jail term not exceeding 10 years, or both, if convicted, he said.