KUALA LUMPUR (Aug 11): The Ministry of Health said Häagen-Dazs ice-cream products with vanilla extract have been recalled from sale in the country as they were found to contain a high level of ethylene oxide (ETO) which may be harmful for consumption.

The ministry's director-general, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, said in a statement that the importer of the products has voluntarily recalled the products in the market, including its distribution in Malaysia.

Noor Hisham said continuous monitoring would be carried out to ensure the affected products are not marketed in this country after it received a notification on the issue in July 2022.

“The ministry is aware of the issue of the recall of Häagen-Dazs ice cream products from the European market because they contain the carcinogenic substance ETO based on the European Union Rapid Alerts Systems for Food and Feed (EURASAFF) notification report.

“The notification states that there is a recall of ice cream products from France that contain vanilla extract from Madagascar that was found to contain ETO above the permitted level. The ice cream product has also been distributed to several countries including Malaysia,” he said.

The DG explained that the ETO is a chemical gas compound that is carcinogenic and is often used to carry out fumigation to kill pests such as insects.

“It is also used as an active ingredient in detergents but is not allowed to be used on surfaces that come into contact with food,” he added.

Noor Hisham said those with any concerns on the matter may check with the nearest district health office, or contact the ministry online via its website or the Facebook page of its food safety and quality control division.

Last week, the Singapore Food Agency said it had directed the importer of Häagen-Dazs Belgian chocolate as well as cookies and cream ice cream to recall the products in the country due to the presence of ETO.