Health ministry halts gummy candy ad after boy chokes to death

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The health ministry has instructed online platforms to take down advertisements of eyeball gummy candies after a 10-year-old boy in Penang died from choking on the sweets. The ministry has also ordered the online platforms to cease the sale of the candies, reported Free Malaysia Today.

Additionally, the health ministry is working closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to ensure that all advertisements of the gummy candy are taken down.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday (23 February), health minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said that the ministry has identified 86 advertisement links on shopping platforms promoting the product. He added that district health offices across the country have also been instructed to conduct enforcement on physical premises and seize remaining products being sold, reported Bernama.

Don't miss: Health minister directs cosmetic brand to take down misleading ads on edible skincare products

Earlier on Saturday (22 February), the ministry released a statement banning the sale of the eyeball-shaped gummy candy on all online platforms and in the domestic market. It added that the product had breached the labelling requirements under the Food Regulations 1985 of the Food Act 1983 (Act 281). The regulations required candies with a size and shape less than or equal to 45 millimeters in diameter must be labelled with "Warning: May cause choking risk" and "Not suitable for children under the age of three."

In the statement, the ministry also asked the public, especially parents, to monitor and advise children to be more careful in choosing food, especially food that has a risk of choking.

The ministry of health will continue to carry out food safety monitoring as well as take preventive measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring again, said the statement.

Last week (19 February), it was reported that a 10-year-old boy was in critical condition at the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of the Penang Hospital after choking on a gummy candy that he purchased outside of the school area. The boy had choked on the gummy during class and collapsed. The boy died two days after on 21 February, according to media reports.

Similarly, the ministry of health has reportedly flagged a popular China-based cosmetics brand for claiming that its products are edible in a series of ads posted on social media last week (17 February). In response, Dzulkefly said at the time that the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) has issued a notice to the company to explain itself and that the ministry has initiated the process of having the company's products removed from the market, according to New Straits Times.

The minister reportedly added that the company's license to sell the product might be revoked for suggesting that its face skin solution can be consumed. He explained that the ads were not only misleading but also posed a risk to health of consumers.

In one of the now-deleted ads, a Malaysian talent could be seen putting the brand's "acid-laden, blood-red skin peeling solution" in her mouth. In another video ad, a male talent was seen consuming a spoonful of the brand's sunscreen cream straight from the packaging.

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