Thailand’s Dragon King Brand Pineapples Are Not Exported Into Malaysia

You can breathe easy now, boys and girls.

The Health Ministry has confirmed that Thailand’s Dragon King brand frozen pineapples, which allegedly contains cyclamate acid, are not exported into Malaysia.

Health Department Director Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah told Astro Awani that the confirmation was made based on data checks through the Malaysian Food Safety Information System (FoSIM) from 2017 till this year.

He added that according to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), cyclamate acid is a non-nutrient sweetener that is 30 to 50 times sweeter than sucrose.

That's diabetes-level sweet.

Therefore, the Food Regulations 1985 does not allow its use in fresh fruits including peeled or ready-to-eat fruits, Dr Noor Hisham said.

The Ministry, according to Dr Noor Hisham, has collected 65 samples of imported pineapples for analysis and found that all the samples are in compliance with the Food Act 1983 and the regulations under it.

He added that the ministry will continue to monitor the fruit at all the country’s entry points to ensure compliance to the existing laws.

Those with further enquiries about the safety of the fruit can contact the nearest District Health Office or State Health Department, visit their website or the Food Safety and Quality Division Facebook page.