All bottled water products by Malaysian maker Malee banned after bacteria found: SFA
SINGAPORE — The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on Friday (28 June) restricted the import of all bottled drinking and mineral water from a Malaysian manufacturer with immediate effect, after it found a common environmental bacterium in consignments of the company’s products.
In a circular addressed to all bottled water importers dated Friday, the agency said that they had detected bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa in consignments of bottled drinking water from Malee Mineral Water through recent surveillance. The bacterium is typically found in faeces, soil, water and sewage.
“In view of the detection, the import of all bottled drinking and mineral water from Malee Mineral Water is not permitted, with immediate effect,” the SFA added.
According to its website, the manufacturer carries three product lines of bottled drinking and mineral water: Sukahati, Ro Fina and Still. There are eight products under the Sukahati line, four under the Ro Fina line and two under Still line.
It is unclear which product line of bottled drinking water was affected.
The ban comes slightly over two weeks after the agency issued a recall of affected “Starfresh” bottled drinking water by another Malaysian importer Radha Exports, after detecting the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginos during a routine sampling of the product.
These include its 500ml bottles with expiry date of 11 May, 2021, as well as its 1,500ml bottles with expiry date of 13 May, 2021.
“Use or consumption of products contaminated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa can cause a range of infections but rarely causes serious illness in healthy individuals,” said the SFA in its recall.
Related story:
Starfresh bottled water recalled after SFA finds bacteria in samples
