Channel NewsAsia 28 Jun 19;
SINGAPORE: The import of all bottled drinking and mineral water from Malee Mineral Water has been banned with immediate effect after bacteria was detected in recent consignments.
The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) announced this in a circular addressed to all bottled water importers on its website on Friday (Jun 28).
"We wish to inform you that through our recent surveillance, consignments of bottled drinking water from the manufacturer, Malee Mineral Water Sdn Bhd, were detected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa," said the circular.
"In view of the detection, the import of all bottled drinking and mineral water from Malee Mineral Water Sdn Bhd is not permitted, with immediate effect."
Malee Mineral Water has three drinking water lines, according to its website - Sukahati, Ro Fina and Still.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is ubiquitous in the environment and can be found in soil, water and on plants.
It can cause infections in humans with weakened immune systems, according to the United States' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The use or consumption of products containing the bacteria can cause a range of infections but "rarely causes serious illness" in healthy people, according to SFA.
The ban on Malee Mineral Water comes just weeks after the agency announced the recall of Starfresh bottled drinking water imported from Malaysia after the same bacteria was detected in the product.
The Starfresh brand of bottled drinking water was found to contain Pseudomonas aeruginosa during routine sampling by SFA.
Importer Radha Exports has been directed to recall all the implicated products.
Source: CNA/nc(hm)
