KUALA LUMPUR: In light of the recent issue raised by the Hong Kong Consumer Council concerning 60 pre-packaged biscuits made from palm oil, food manufacturers must demand for palm oil from their suppliers that contain lower levels of 3-monochloro-propanediol esters (3-MCPDE) and glycidyl esters (GE), said Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) director-general Dr Ahmad Parveez Ghulam Kadir.

       According to recent news reports, the council claimed that the biscuits contained cancer-causing substances, such as glycidol or acrylamide.

       Ahmad Parveez said food manufacturers must demand palm oil containing lower 3-MCPDE and GE from the suppliers so that their products can be accepted by consumers.

       “Similarly, refineries should be firm in requesting the mills to supply crude palm oil (CPO) with lower chloride content to enable them to reduce 3-MCPDE in refined palm oil.

       “Alternatively, refineries could pay less for CPO with high chlorine as it will be used to pay the cost of washing the CPO in the refinery,” he said in a statement.

       Ahmad Parveez said the issues of 3-MCPDE and GE in palm oil would no longer be a concern if all parties understood their roles in ensuring that the palm oil used meets the high quality and safety standards required.

       “The presence of chloride in CPO is found to be the precursor of 3-MCPDE when the oil undergoes refining at elevated temperatures.

       “From the commercial trials, CPO washing and post-refining have proven to yield palm oil with reduced 3-MCPDE and GE contents respectively,” he said.

       On food-labelling for export purposes, Ahmad Parveez said manufacturers should abide to labelling provisions and guidelines set by the importing countries.

       “In Malaysia, biscuit manufacturers must comply with the requirements set under the Malaysia Food Acts 1983 (Act 281), monitored by the Health Ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Division,” he added.