Kota Kinabalu: A company was fined RM8,500 by the Magistrate’s Court here for importing fresh grapes containing pesticide residues.
Magistrate Wan Farrah Farriza Wan Ghazali imposed the sentence on Phoenix Series (S) Sdn Bhd, after its a representative of the company pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court also ordered a warrant of levy to be issued should the company fail to pay the fine.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});The company was charged with importing the fresh grapes that contained Chlorpyrifos pesticide residues amounting to 0.068 mg/kg, detected on Nov 7, 2024 at 11.50am in Kg Darau, Jalan Tuaran Bypass, near here.
As the importer, the company was found to have violated the Regulation 41(3)(c) of the Food Regulations 1985, which prohibits any person from importing, preparing for sale, or selling any food that contains 0.01 milligrammes or more per kilogramme of pesticide residue if that pesticide is not listed for that food item in the Sixteenth Schedule or the Codex Alimentarius.
In this case, the Chlorpyrifos content in the grapes exceeded the permitted limit of 0.01 mg/kg.
The company was charged under Section 13B(1) of the Food Act 1983 and read together with Section 13B(2)(e) of the same Act and punishable under Section 13B(4) of the same Act which provides for a fine of up to RM20,000, or a jail term of up to five years, or both, on conviction.
In mitigation, the company’s director asked for a lower fine.
However, Prosecuting Officer John Raynold Anak Achon urged the court to impose an appropriate and deterrent sentence, noting that this was a serious offence involving public health and safety.
He explained that Chlorpyrifos is an organophosphate pesticide widely used in agriculture to control various insects and pests. It has been the subject of regulatory scrutiny and public health concern due to its potential harmful effects on human health and the environment.
“It can cause side effects on individuals exposed to it through the skin, such as numbness, tingling, itching, burning sensations, loss of bladder control, and seizures.
“For the public, consuming food containing excessive pesticide residues can stimulate the nervous system, leading to nausea, prolonged vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhoea, unconsciousness, coma and even death,” he added, stressing the importance of food safety.
According to the facts of the case, an officer from the Kota Kinabalu District Health Office had taken a random sample of fresh grapes weighing not less than 1kg, in accordance with the Regulation Four of the Food Regulations 1985.
The sample was then sent to the Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory for analysis by a food analyst.
On Dec 11, 2024, a laboratory report confirmed that the sample contained Chlorpyrifos at a level of 0.068 mg/kg.
The company has since paid the fine.
