Singapore media: Malaysia bans sales of ＂eyeball＂ gummies

According to a report by Singapore's Straits Times on the 24th, a popular "eyeball" gummy candy among teenagers has recently attracted attention. Due to the choking death of a 10-year-old boy caused by the gummy candy, the Malaysian Ministry of Health quickly took action and ordered the immediate removal of online advertisements promoting the "eyeball" gummy candy, and strictly prohibited the sale of the product on online platforms and local markets.

After investigation, relevant departments found 86 advertising links for "eyeball" gummies on two online shopping platforms. The Minister of Health of the country, Zukihiri, stated that in the future, health departments from all regions of the country will be arranged to conduct searches and law enforcement on physical stores, confiscating the remaining "eyeball" gummies.

It is reported that the "eyeball" gummy involved in this incident has been confirmed as "gummy original basketball soft candy", and investigations have found that it violates the labeling requirements of the 1985 Malaysian Food Regulations under the 1983 Food Act (Act 281).

The 10-year-old victim, Mohamad Fahmi Hafiz, purchased this table tennis sized gummy outside Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dua National Primary School in Beihai, Penang. He later suffocated after swallowing the gummy and passed away in the intensive care unit after two days of rescue.

Previously, the Malaysian Ministry of Health had issued a ban on the sale of this candy on February 21st. As the incident escalated, the Ministry of Education also instructed schools to immediately report vendors selling food and beverages outside the school and cooperate with local authorities to strengthen supervision of their sales. At the same time, experts and relevant organizations call for strengthening law enforcement efforts and attaching importance to conducting education and publicity activities on the potential dangers of certain foods. Mohamad Ikram Ilias, President of the Malaysian Pediatric Association, reminds parents to learn from this incident and closely monitor their children's food choices, especially when choosing snacks, as chewy candies like gummies pose a choking risk for young children.