BREACH OF HALAL FOOD INTEGRITY STANDARDS; FOOD ADULTERATION – PUBLIC PROSECUTOR V INTAN BIOTECH INDUSTRIES SDN BHD [2025] MLJU 1245

Abstract

Food adulteration is a major concern for food safety authorities in a worldwide level. The addition of the prohibited substances info our daily food products can result in serious health risks to the consumers; it might also reduce public trust and create challenges for regulatory enforcement. As the food supply chains has become more complex, cases involving food fraud and breach of food integrity are becoming increasingly common which makes it difficult to identify the parties responsible whenever food safety issues arise. This paper will deeply examine the Public Prosecutor v Intan Biotech Industries Sdn Bhd case, concerning a coffee product that was discovered to contain a prohibited medicinal substance, Sildenafil under the Malaysian law and Food Acts 1983. This case study adopts a theoretical legal analysis technique to analyse the facts of the case, proven evidence, expert witnesses’ testimony and the court’s reasoning behind its ruling. The results demonstrate that while the prosecution was successfully proving the presence of the sildenafil in the coffee sample, it was then failed to hold beyond a reasonable doubt that the product’s originality was from the accused company. This case highlights the importance of supply chain management, scientific solid proves, product traceability, and appropriate level of investigations in food adulterations.