Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream products scooped from shelves

Vanilla-based Haagen-Dazs ice cream products in Malaysia have been recalled from sale due to concerns that they contain a carcinogenic substance, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today. 

In a statement, he said the health ministry was aware that such products had been recalled from the European market as they contained ethylene oxide, a chemical gas compound often used for fumigation purposes to kill pests such as insects. 

It is also used as an active ingredient in detergents and is not permitted for use on surfaces that come into contact with food. 

Noor Hisham also cited the notification by the EU's Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed, which said there had been a recall of ice cream products from France that contain vanilla extract from Madagascar found to contain more than the permitted level of ethylene oxide.

"Since the issue was reported and notification received by the health ministry in July, appropriate action has been taken where the importing company has voluntarily withdrawn the ice cream products involved from the market," he said. 

"Continuous monitoring has also been implemented to ensure that the products involved are not marketed in this country."