Penang authorities to raid places selling fake Balik Pulau durians
KEPALA BATAS : The authorities in Penang have identified several places where imported durians, particularly from Thailand, are being falsely marketed as the famed Balik Pulau variety.
State agriculture executive councillor Fahmi Zainol said joint operations involving the police, agriculture department and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (Fama) would be launched soon to curb such fraudulent practices.
'We've identified two or three hotspots where durians are brought in by truck from Thailand but sold as local produce.
'We're just waiting for the right time to conduct the raids and issue compounds,' he told reporters at the Bumbong Lima Agricultural Training Institute today.
He said this followed public complaints and ongoing monitoring by authorities.
A roadblock has been set up at the Juru toll plaza by the Malaysian quarantine and inspection services department (Maqis) and other agencies to detect non-compliant agricultural products, especially durians.
While durians from other regions are not banned, Fahmi said sellers must not misrepresent them as Balik Pulau durians.
'We now have a 'track and trace' system in place since June 1. Every durian is tagged with a QR code that lets consumers verify its origin, from farm to table,' he said.
He urged the public to report suspicious sellers, adding that most legitimate durian farmers in Penang had adopted the tracking system to boost transparency and consumer confidence.
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