Category: Food EN

Rice is our staple food and central to our culture. Thus it is dismaying to learn that almost 100,000ha of paddy land in Peninsular Malaysia has been converted in the past 15 years, arising in increase in rice imports to meet local needs. The Malaysian government’s ill-defined development strategies and pursuance of export earnings has brought us to the stage that we have to import more rice...

The Consumers Association of Penang today calls on the Commissioner of Tourism to immediately check whether license has been issued to the controversial Reggae chain of hostels in Penang and Kuala Lumpur and if registered, to charge the registered owner or proprietor for contravening the Tourism Industry Act 1992 and if not then to revoke their registration immediately. The Local Councils should...

The Consumers’ Association of Penang is shocked and concerned of the recent revelation regarding content of pig DNA in food products that is widely consumed by Muslims. The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia/Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) had just recently revealed the results of analysis conducted by the Chemistry Department of Malaysia on HP Sauce and Tabasco Pepper...

How long can foods be stored? Many people do keep their food longer than the above guidelines. If you keep your food longer, make sure you check it each time to see that it has not turned mouldy, slimy, stinky, rancid or otherwise rotten. Always check the food BEFORE you taste it. •    Ground meats, fresh poultry and raw fish should be used within 1-2 days after purchase. •    Milk,...

Our early ancestors ate plants and fruits that had therapeutic effect on the body as well as providing nutrition. Since the dawn of civilisation, man has relied on the forests, fields and gardens for medicines. Early physicians who used food as the mainstay prescription against disease knew nothing of germs they could not see, or of hormones or cholesterol, and how painkillers and anticoagulants...

Taking supplements does nothing to fight cancer. In some cases, some supplements can be downright unsafe.  In January 2009, an editorial in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) noted that most trials had shown no cancer benefits from vitamins.  Several large credible studies, including research into the effects of Vitamins C and E and beta carotene, found the supplements did not...

Many supplements do not thwart heart disease. This has been demonstrated in several studies. Instead, easily available foods are proven to have a greater potential for preventing heart diseases. Supplements that do not work for heart problems "Vitamin C pills do not appear to lower cholesterol levels or reduce the risk of heart attacks. Effects on cholesterol plaques in heart arteries...

Chillies may prevent: cancer, heart disease, stroke, blood clots, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, bronchitis, emphysema, coughs and colds and stomach ulcer. Used as a food, a spice and an herbal medicine for over 9,000 years, chillies are said to be good for the kidneys, spleen, pancreas, lungs and heart. In Victorian England, chillies were prized for their warming properties in...