PUTRAJAYA (Bernama): The Agriculture Department has not received any report of Helicobacter "worms" attacking banana crops in Malaysia, said its director-general Datuk Zahimi Hassan.

       He said the viral video on the alleged discovery of Helicobacter worms in bananas contained unauthentic and dubious information.

       Zahimi explained that Helicobacter is a type of bacteria and not an invertebrate animal.

       "Consumers do not have to worry as the Agriculture and Food Industries Ministry through DOA always ensure that agriculture produce and products from the local or foreign sources are safe to be consumed and free from pests and diseases that harm consumers and the environment," he said in a statement today.

       He said the Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority, in a statement on Nov 1, clarified that the viral video contained false and misleading information, adding that it was not common for a worm to complete its entire life cycle inside a fruit. - Bernama