Misleading advertisement: 151 websites, 319 social media accounts blocked

A total of 151 websites and 319 social media accounts have been blocked from January 2018 until June 19 this year, for promoting food products using misleading advertisements.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Adham Baba said, during the same period, 71 warning letters were issued against those who have published advertisements that did not comply with the Food Act 1983, including health claims such as preventing and curing any disease.

As such, he said the ministry had come up with the Food Advertising Guidelines which can serve as a source of reference for industry players in advertising food products in accordance with the law.

“The guidelines provide food safety requirements at all levels, specifically for food marketed through social media platforms such as WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook,” he said during the launch of the guidelines, held in conjunction with the 2020 World Food Safety Day celebration here today.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry had taken 20,492 food samples and raw materials from 400 markets nationwide for analysis from 2018 until June this year.

Of that total he said, 853 samples were found not complying with the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985 adding that a total of 516 food poisoning cases were recorded last year.

-- BERNAMA