KL bans RI's 'kue lapis'

KL bans RI's 'kue lapis'

JAKARTA (JP): Malaysia has banned 10 brands of kue lapis, a
traditional Indonesian cake, saying they contain too many
preservatives that could endanger lives.

The move was announced by Minister of Health Lee Kim Sai in
Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Antara reported. The report did not give
the names of the 10 affected brands but said they originated from
manufacturers located in Banda Aceh, Medan and Jakarta.

The 10 failed to pass a laboratory test, Lee said, stressing
the excessive use of chemical preservatives could destroy a
person's digestive system.

Minister Lee has ordered supermarket and shop owners to remove
the 10 brands from their shelves and said the would communicate
the findings of the test to his Indonesian counterpart.

Kue lapis, which is cake baked in layers, is highly popular in
Malaysia and is normally served on big days like the upcoming
Chinese New Year and to break the fast during the Moslem Ramadan
month. Although there are kue lapis made locally or brought in
from Thailand, Indonesian brands apparently dominated the market
because of their superior taste, according to Antara (emb)