KOTA KINABALU: A local company was fined RM6,000, in default, eight months’ imprisonment for selling rice which contained rat faeces and beetle larvae.
Magistrate Cindy Mc Juce Balitus imposed the fine on Leong Yun Fah Sdn Bhd after its company director admitted to selling the sacks of rice which the Sabah State Health Department found were contaminated.
The facts of the case revealed that a complainant had bought five sacks of rice from the accused and after opening one of the sacks, he suspected it to have rat droppings.
The complainant subsequently lodged a report with the Health Department here and handed to the department for laboratory analysis were one opened sack of the ‘Beras Nasional’ brand of rice, and another unopened sack of rice of the same brand.
It was found through the analysis that both sacks of rice contained rat faeces, larvae from the Rust Red Flour Beetle (Tribolium castaneum) and adult beetles of the same species.
The accused was charged under Section 13A (2) of the Food Act 1983 for selling food unfit for human consumption, and is punishable with a maximum RM30,000 fine, and liable to imprisonment, upon conviction.
The offence was committed on January 24 at a sundry store in Inanam while the complainant filed the complaint to the Health Department on January 29.
Health Department prosecuting officer Jarmani Ariffin prosecuted the case.