PUTRAJAYA, MALYASIA: Dried plum and prune products that are being sold locally do not contain too much lead, Health Ministry tests revealed.

Its food safety and quality division director Noraini Mohd Othman said the lead content in 15 of the 44 samples analysed was not above 2mg/kg, the permissible maximum level as stated in the Food Regulations 1985.

Last month, the ministry issued a statement restricting the sale of 18 types of dried plum and prune from China, Taiwan and other Asian countries after high degrees of lead was detected.

The ministry's monitoring began when the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) alerted consumers that the dried fruits sold by 15 manufacturers had too much lead - up to 30ppm.

Noraini added that based on the ministry's food safety information system systems database, none of these products were imported into the country.

The plum and prune products - known as asam or jeruk in Malay and kiam sui tee (salty, sour and sweet) in Hokkien - are popular as tidbits among Malaysians.