In-depth reporting on Malaysia and the region.
Taiwan's prosecutors have charged 15 people and four companies over a cooking oil scandal involving a cancer-causing substance. More than 2,800 tonnes of contaminated oil were recalled, sparking political controversy and public outcry.
Malaysia has formally joined the Asia-Pacific Food Regulatory Authority Summit to strengthen regional food safety governance through digitalisation. The move addresses rapid growth in food imports, which surged 85% over a decade to RM78.9 billion in 2023.
Hundreds of Indonesian schoolchildren have fallen ill from suspected food poisoning linked to President Prabowo's Free Meals Programme, which launched in January as a flagship anti-stunting initiative. New leadership has shuttered nearly 900 kitchens and dismissed staff following corruption arrests.
Vietnam is tightening oversight of its durian export certification system following a corruption investigation that exposed bribery and fraudulent practices. The crackdown aims to protect the country's billion-dollar durian industry as it seeks continued market access in China.
A 19-year-old Singaporean was fined $600 after pleading guilty to causing public nuisance by filming himself licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine, forcing the operator to replace 500 straws.
A sushi trader in Setiu was fined RM700 for selling contaminated food at a Ramadan bazaar. The case highlights ongoing food safety challenges during the holy month.
A foodborne parasite outbreak in the US highlights why Cyclospora is notoriously difficult to detect and trace. Unlike bacterial pathogens, the parasite cannot be lab-cultured or genome-sequenced, forcing investigators to rely on patient interviews and making contamination hard to pinpoint.
A South Korean Michelin-starred restaurant owner faces one year in jail after prosecutors accused him of illegally garnishing sorbets with black ants imported from Thailand and the US to enhance flavour.
Health authorities in Penang have temporarily closed a supermarket at Gurney Drive over hygiene violations discovered during routine inspection, part of ongoing efforts to enforce food safety standards statewide.
Kelantan authorities will intensify inspections of food premises amid allegations of halal non-compliance that circulated on social media, with officials urging stricter adherence to Islamic dietary standards.
Sarawak police seized frozen pork products valued at RM6.19 million during a warehouse operation in Miri and arrested one suspect, with investigations pointing to illegal imports lacking proper documentation.