Secret Recipe violated food safety requirements, Dewan Rakyat told

Secret Recipe Manufacturing Sdn Bhd had violated food safety requirements which resulted in the revocation of its 'halal' certificate on May 7, the Dewan Rakyat was told Wednesday.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said this violation came under the 'toyyibban' element which covered cleanliness and good manufacturing practices (GMP).

The other 'halal' element was 'halalan' that covered the use of halal items in the manufacture of products, he said when replying to a supplementary question, from Idris Ahmad (PAS-Bukit Gantang).

Jamil Khir said Secret Recipe could reapply for the 'halal' certificate after it has complied with the cleanliness and GMP aspects.

He said the company, which had a network of 297 outlets nationwide, should emphasise cleanliness.

The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) withdrew the 'halal' certificate of Secret Recipe on May 7 for violation of cleanliness and GMP aspects.

Jakim director of the Halal Hub Division, Hakimah Mohd Yusoff, explained yesterday that the withdrawal of the certificate had nothing to do with the use of halal items in processing products.

Replying to the original question, from Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan), Jamil Khir said some restaurants and cafes operating at the KL International Airport (KLIA) and KLIA2 had the halal certificate.

Fifteen of the 62 food outlets at KLIA and 12 of the 66 at KLIA2 had the certificates, he said.

Abdul Ghapur had wanted to know whether all the food outlets at KLIA and KLIA2 had the halal certificate.