WE are importing food from around the world but are we doing enough to check just what we’re letting in, ask ELIZABETH JOHN and TAN CHOE CHOE

ROTI canai -- all buttery, all flaky, all Malaysian goodness?

Not really. Not when the wheat came from the US, the ghee from India and sugar, Fiji.

Our dinner plate today is truly global.

But as food crosses borders and connects people in far-flung places, it leaves the doors open for an unseen partner to creep in.

In 1999, the world reluctantly gave up the guilty pleasures of Belgian chocolates when cancer-causing dioxin was found in animal feed from that country, prompting a meat and dairy product ban.

Most recently the uninvited guest was melamine -- a useful chemical that turned deadly when mixed with milk.

It hitched a ride around the world in milk products that went into biscuits, chocolates and sweets.

"What happens in one country now affects every other country," says Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Associate Professor Dr Ayub Mohd Yatim.

"Globalisation is great but it also means we're more exposed."

And exposure is the big issue now as reports surface that vegetables imported from China could be tainted with melamine naturally released by an approved pesticide when it decomposes.

As authorities here begin to test scores of samples, just how concerned should we be?

Vegetables and fruits are among the chief imports from China.

Last year, Malaysia imported close to RM3 billion worth of fruits and greens from around the world, with 41 per cent from China.

Millions of ringgit of onions, ginger, broccoli, cabbage and potatoes top the list of 21 vegetables, says the Agriculture and Agro-based Ministry.

Of the list of 25 imported fruits, several million tonnes were a fasting month staple -- dates.

Though there have been no positive test results so far, what this teaches us, says Ayub, is that as the variety of food we import and consume grows, so too should our monitoring.

The Health Ministry and other government agencies regularly sample and test food for a long list of common harmful substances, says Ayub.

But melamine isn't a common substance, testing is costly and resources are limited.

"More monitoring means money and it could be an expensive affair -- trained people, special equipment, certified labs... a simple set-up could run into the millions," adds Ayub, who heads the university's training academy for food cleanliness and safety.

But more labs, resources and closer monitoring are one sure way to build trust in the food chain.

The question is, how much is the country willing to spend on it?

"Every year, the variety of food and the number of food chemicals that come into the market increases. The budget for monitoring must keep pace."

And after monitoring, comes enforcement. "If we find something harmful on the shelf, we need to bring the offender to court and fine or imprison him. Practise that and people will be too afraid to tamper with food."

It's not as if the authorities don't take action at all, says Ayub. They just need to do more.

The Consumers Association of Penang says only full and effective enforcement of the law will protect consumers.

For instance, there is zero tolerance for the presence of bacteria or E. coli in food under the law.

But, time and time again, during its surveys, the group has found the presence of E. coli in food, says its president S.M. Mohamed Idris.

Both Ayub and Idris add that the authorities need to deal with offenders more sternly.

The punishment is too light as a person found guilty of preparing or selling food containing substances injurious to health faces a maximum fine of RM100,000 or a jail term of up to 10 years, or both.

That's an amount a big company might gladly pay, says Ayub.

The punishment must be a deterrent, argues Ayub.

"People have to know that if they do something wrong, they will be caught."

It boils down to compliance, he says.

Take food labelling -- Ayub says in his surveys, he often finds that many food producers don't comply with the law.

The food item is wrongly named often a manufacturer will leave out an address and the labels carry unsubstantiated claims.

The last is also a sticking point with the Malaysian Association of Standards Users.

Its chief executive officer, Ratna Devi Nadarajan, says labels of food products in the country are often misleading, carrying uncertified claims of being organic to "super" this or that.

Malaysia is also a long way off from introducing laws that require manufacturers and producers to label the source of some ingredients, the way the United States has.

Ayub adds there is a need for a better documentation system to trace the origin of food.

At present, the authorities have to check with the manufacturers to find out the source of ingredients.

"If the melamine scare has taught us one thing, it's that we need good documentation now."

Another more basic problem the country needs to address is its growing food poisoning problem, says Ayub.

While concern over the globe-trotting melamine contamination is justified, he feels just as much effort should be placed in reducing our poisoning cases.

Between 2002 and 2005, food poisoning cases dropped only to spike again in 2006.

Last year, 14,455 cases were reported.

Again, Ayub blames it on compliance.

"Food handlers get training. They have the knowledge but do they put it into practice?" he asks.

"When inspectors come by, the workers rush to put on clean aprons, caps and wash their hands... why?"

We have guidelines that direct a food producer on the "good" practices, procedures and environment of food production.

The problem lies in the fact that standards and guidelines are voluntary.

The only real force that can ensure change, says Ayub, is the consumer. "Don't do the typical Malaysian thing and say a little bit of contamination won't kill. Be vocal, complain."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: What are the risks posed by milk formula containing melamine to infants?

Infants may suffer from renal disease, including urinary stones, which are rare in infants.

They are more susceptible because milk is their major food source and the melamine intake per body weight is, therefore, much higher than that of adults, who consume a variety of foods.

Q: What are the risks to adults?

Ninety-nine per cent of the victims in China were below the age of 3. As the sensitivity towards melamine is lower and milk is not a major food source for adults, the health risk is also lower.

Q: What are the risks to pregnant women and foetuses?

There is currently no data available on the health risks to pregnant women and foetuses. Available animal studies do not show evidence that it would produce defects in foetuses.

Q: What are the risks to the elderly?

The risk is relatively low.

Q: What are the long-term risks of consuming food containing melamine?

There is currently no human data available. Data from animal studies show that melamine is rapidly cleared from the body.

Q: What products containing high level of melamine have been found in China?

The list of products is posted on the website of the General Administration of Quality Supervision Inspection and Quarantine of China (english.aqsiq.gov.cn/).

Q: How will consumers be affected by melamine-contaminated milk products?

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the tolerable daily intake, i.e. the safety reference value for melamine, is 0.63 mg per kg of body weight per day.

(As children aged 3 and below are more sensitive to melamine, safety reference value for them is set at 0.32 mg per kg of body weight per day.)

Assuming a cup of milk contains 10 ppm melamine, an adult weighing 60kg who consumes more than 3.8kg (about 15 cups) of the milk per day will have the dietary exposure to melamine exceeding the safety reference value, whereas a 2-year-old weighing 9kg who consumes more than 0.29kg (more than one cup) of the milk per day will have the dietary exposure exceeding the safety reference value.

However, the risk varies with the level of melamine. If a higher level is detected, the amount that will exceed the safety reference value will in turn be lower.

Q: What is the advice to consumers?

Caregivers should not feed infant formula or milk products that have been contaminated with melamine to babies and young children. Individuals should seek medical advice if they develop urinary symptoms, including the development of urinary stones.

Q: Can enforcing limits on the level of melamine in food protect public health?

The health of children and adults will not be affected if they consume food that comply with the limits.

Occasional intake of melamine above the safety reference value will not have any side effects, provided that the average intake over a long period does not exceed the value.

Q: How about legal/enforcement limits set by overseas authorities?

As of Sept 29, two other food agencies have announced the enforcement limits for the level of melamine in food:

- The New Zealand Food Safety Authority announced on Sept 29 that it had set the limit of 2.5 mg/kg for most foods (final form) before regulatory action is considered. However, for infant formula, this level will be set to the level of test detection of one mg/kg. - The European Union announced on Sept 26 that member states should destroy all consignments originating in or consigned from China of composite products containing more than 15 per cent or an unknown content of milk with mela-mine at levels exceeding 2.5 mg/kg.

Q: Will there be any risk if the food consumed daily contained melamine at the levels just below the safety limits?

Based on the results of available risk assessment, there is no risk to public health if the food they consume daily contain melamine at the levels below the legal limits.

Source: Centre for Food Safety(The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region)