Midamar banned from exporting beef products to Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA: Midamar Corporation, the United States beef supplier charged for fraud involving halal standards during slaughter, is not allowed to export beef products to Malaysia.
Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) Halal Hub Division director Hakimah Mohd Yusoff said the Midamar processing plant is not on the list approved by the Malaysian Veterinary Services Department (VSD).
"Only processing plants that have been approved and registered by VSD can export their beef products to Malaysia," she said in a statement today.
Hakimah said the case only happened abroad.
"The public is advised not to worry about the halal status of products imported into Malaysia because they are strictly controlled at the entry points by law enforcement agencies."
Foreign media reports on Wednesday said Midamar Corporation and two of its directors, brothers Jalel and Yahya Aossey, were charged with selling misbranded beef products and falsifying documents.
Also charged was Islamic Services of America (ISA), an organisation approved to export products which received approval to Malaysia, Indonesia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The ISA was founded by the siblings from Iowa.
Hakimah said although the ISA is one of the halal certification bodies abroad recognised by Jakim, it does not mean that automatic approval is given to exporters of meat products certified by it.
"Malaysia has specific rules for the importation of meat and meat-based products, that is all abattoirs and processing plants are required to go through inspection by Jakim's Malaysia Halal Meat Production Protocol and sanitary inspection by the VSD at abattoirs and processing plants abroad." – Bernama