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)