If you’re an international snack-manufacturing company making chocolate for a largely Muslim population, the last thing you need is to have your product testing positive for even traces of pork DNA.
But that’s the situation Cadbury Malaysia, a unit of Mondelez International Inc., finds itself dealing with now. Recalls of Cadbury Dairy Milk Hazelnut and Cadbury Milk Roast Almond, sold in stores throughout Malaysia, have been ordered.
Pork DNA traces were found in the products by the county’s Ministry of Health during a periodic check for non-Halal ingredients. Two of three samples were reportedly positive for the pork DNA traces.
Most Malaysian food manufacturers use only Halal ingredients because more than 50 percent of the country’s population is Muslim and producers want to adhere to their religious restrictions, which entirely exclude pork.
Cadbury Malaysia is reportedly conducting a full review of its supply chain, with a goal of meeting Halal standards. Its parent company manufactures and markets food and beverage products for consumers in approximately 165 countries.
Mondelez International’s portfolio of nine brands includes Oreo, Nabisco and LU biscuits; Milka, Cadbury Dairy Milk and Cadbury chocolates; Trident gum; Jacobs coffee, and Tang powdered beverage. The company operates in 80 countries in these divisions: Latin America, Asia Pacific, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa, Europe and North America.