Kota Kinabalu: Two food import companies were fined a total of RM8,100 by the Magistrates' Court here on Tuesday after pleading guilty to importing fresh mandarins containing excessive Chlorpyrifos pesticide residue.
LLS Fresh Fruits Marketing Sdn Bhd was fined RM6,500 after admitting to importing fresh mandarins containing 0.041mg/kg of Chlorpyrifos at its premises in the HSK Industry Warehouse Centre, Mile 10, Penampang, on Jan 15, in contravention of Section 13B(4) of the Food Act 1983 and Regulation 41(3)(c) of the Food Regulations 1985.
The court heard that a random sample collected during an inspection was analysed by the Kota Kinabalu Public Health Laboratory, which confirmed the pesticide residue level, while the prosecution submitted that Chlorpyrifos poses significant public health risks and noted the company had committed a similar offence since 2025.
In a separate case before another Magistrates' Court, Lo Siew Lin Sdn Bhd was fined RM1,600, or one day's jail in default, after pleading guilty to importing fresh mandarins containing 0.035mg/kg of Chlorpyrifos following an inspection at its Jalan Tuaran premises on Jan 28, with laboratory analysis also confirming the residue level.
The prosecution submitted that excessive exposure to Chlorpyrifos could cause serious health effects and urged the court to impose deterrent sentences to safeguard public health, while both companies paid their fines.
