REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KUALA LUMPUR - New tests conducted by Malaysian authorities found that two varieties of chocolate made by British confectioner Cadbury did not contain pig DNA, contrary to a previous finding, the country's Islamic affairs agency said on Monday.
Cadbury withdrew the chocolate bars from sale in Muslim-majority Malaysia last week after government tests found traces of pork in them, leading some Islamic groups to call for a boycott on all of its products. Malaysia's Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said none of the 11 samples it tested of Cadbury's Dairy Milk Hazelnut and Cadbury Dairy Milk Roast Almond from the company's factory had shown positive results for porcine DNA.
Jakim said in a statement that Cadbury's halal certification for the two products would remain suspended pending further tests and investigations of its supply chain. Jakim is the only body in Malaysia tasked with ensuring products are halal, or permissible by Islamic law. The previous tests were conducted in February by the country's health ministry on products taken from store shelves. Jakim had said those tests might not have been fair on Cadbury since the products could have been contaminated after leaving the factory.
Cadbury Malaysia under its parent Mondolez International, had stood by its products' halal certification and had assured the public that it was working with authorities in meeting the halal guidelines. Following last week's announcement that the chocolate bars tested positive for the non-halal ingredient, fellow Muslim countries Indonesia and Saudi Arabia said they were carrying out tests on Cadbury products.
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