By Yeng Ai Chun

BUTTERWORTH, MALAYSIA: A whopping 12,000kg of locally made biscuits and 8,400kg of ammonium bicarbonate have ended up at the Seberang Prai Municipal Council landfill transit station here.

They were the first batch of melamine-tainted food products to be destroyed by the North Seberang Prai health department on Monday.

Four types of biscuits worth RM83,407.62 (S$35,160) and ammonium bicarbonate valued at RM7,056 (S$2,970) were disposed at the landfill.

The biscuits, packaged as assorted biscuits in tins, were part of the factory's stock and ready for sale.

Department health officer Dr Shaari Saad said tests were conducted on the six types of biscuits and four tested positive for melamine.

He said the two biscuit manufacturers whose products were found tainted with melamine, cooperated fully with the authorities.

He declined to name them.

"They also did not know that their stock of ammonium bicarbonate was tainted with melamine. But once they found out, they gave their full cooperation," he said.

Dr Shaari added that the department started conducting tests on food products when the melamine scare broke out two months ago.

The Star/Asia News Network