Business

Wednesday March 18, 2009

Frozen food processors ask ministry to conclude audit quickly

By DAVID TAN


GEORGE TOWN: The Malaysian Frozen Foods Processors Association (MFFPA) has called on the Health Ministry to quickly audit the remaining 21 seafood-exporting companies, so that they can resume doing business with Europe.

The European Union’s (EU) Food and Veterinary Office recently lifted a ban, which lasted nine months, on Malaysian seafood heading for Europe.

Ch'ng Chin Hooi

MFFPA president Ch’ng Chin Hooi told StarBiz that the EU lifted the ban following a recent audit on five seafood exporting companies that were MFFPA members.

“About two weeks ago, an auditing team from the EU checked the facilities of these five companies and found them to be in compliance with EU’s health and hygiene standards. They have now received an EU number that allows them to export to Europe,” he said.

“The health ministry now needs to follow up and conduct a similar audit on the remaining 21 members of MFFPA, so that they can resume trade with Europe as soon as possible,” he added.

Ch’ng also urged Agro Bank to quickly release the RM500mil soft loan already approved by the Cabinet for MFFPA members.

“The loan, approved last August, is to help our members whose businesses were affected by the ban,” he said.

MFFPA members incurred over RM1bil in losses after the EU ban was imposed last June.

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