Oil ‘cocktail’ exports put Malaysia’s palm oil credentials under scrutiny, says maritime industry veteran

Concerns have been raised over the alleged blending of imported cooking oil with Malaysian supplies, which are then re-exported under a Malaysian label, potentially compromising product origin, traceability, and food safety.

Maritime Network Sdn Bhd CEO, Datuk Seri R.

Jeyenderan, emphasized the need for independent laboratory testing to verify the composition and quality of the blended oil.

He highlighted that improper labeling could mislead consumers and affect Malaysia's reputation as a food exporter.

Calls have been made for authorities to investigate and ensure compliance with international standards to maintain the integrity of Malaysia's palm oil brand.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — The alleged blending of imported cooking oil with locally produced supplies before it is re-exported under a Malaysian label has raised concerns over product origin, traceability and food safety, with calls for the authorities to investigate the practice.

Maritime Network Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri R. Jeyenderan said the alleged practice, which industry players have described as an oil “cocktail”, warranted closer scrutiny from the authorities, particularly over product origin, quality and food safety.

The Edge reported yesterday, citing industry sources, that imported palm oil was allegedly being blended with local supplies before being re-exported, potentially allowing foreign-origin oil to be marketed as Malaysian palm oil. Blending ratios of 75:25 or 80:20 were reportedly circulating in the market, the report said.

Jeyenderan said an examination of cargo manifests and bills of lading had raised concerns over how the oil’s country of origin was declared and how its actual composition was verified after blending.

Jeyenderan, who has more than 30 years of experience in the maritime industry, said independent laboratory tests were needed to establish whether the imported oil and the final blended product met the required quality and food safety standards.

He also questioned whether oil samples were tested before the vessels carrying the cargo left Malaysian waters, claiming the vessels concerned were not equipped with specialised laboratory facilities or qualified chemists to carry out detailed analyses.

“How could the actual composition and quality of the cargo be independently verified without proper laboratory testing?

“The issue is not just about blending different types of oil, but also about whether the origin and composition of the final product can be properly established before it is exported,” he said in a statement.

Jeyenderan said any possibility of contamination should be investigated through scientific testing rather than assumptions.

“If the oil is contaminated, what could be the impact on public health? Who is responsible for ensuring that the final product is safe for consumption?” he asked.

He said international rules already set clear expectations on origin, testing and traceability.

Under the Codex Alimentarius, the international food standards adopted by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization and World Health Organization, the General Standard for the Labelling of Prepackaged Foods requires a food’s country of origin to be declared if leaving it out would mislead or deceive consumers.

“Codex only allows the origin to shift when processing changes the nature of the food. Simply mixing imported oil with Malaysian oil does not change its nature, so declaring the blend as wholly Malaysian may mislead buyers,” he said.

On testing, he noted that international palm oil trade contracts under FOSFA International, including FOSFA Contract No. 81 issued jointly with the Palm Oil Refiners Association of Malaysia (PORAM), require independent analysis by qualified surveyors.

He also warned that Article 3 of the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), which applies to large operators from December 30, 2026, requires palm oil entering the EU to be traceable to the plots of land where it was produced.

“If foreign oil of unknown origin is mixed into Malaysian oil, the whole cargo may fail EUDR traceability. That puts genuine Malaysian exporters and our MSPO credibility at risk just as the regulation comes into force,” he said, referring to the Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil certification.

He urged the authorities to clarify the procedures governing the import, blending, sampling, quality certification and re-export of cooking oil, including which agencies are responsible for monitoring each stage.

He said proper documentation and independent laboratory testing were essential to ensure that products exported from Malaysia complied with the required standards and that their country of origin was accurately declared.

He added that failing to address the concerns could affect consumer confidence and Malaysia’s reputation as a food exporter.

An industry source said the alleged practice, if taking place, could displace locally produced palm oil in overseas markets and undermine confidence in Malaysia’s palm oil brand, including its MSPO certification and traceability framework.

“In the trade, this ‘cocktail’ is clearly an adulteration of Malaysian oil. It cannot be confirmed by the market alone, which is why the authorities need to check.

“Customs, MPOB (Malaysian Palm Oil Board) and Miti (Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry) already hold the import and origin records, so this can be checked quickly,” the source said.

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有人担心进口食用油与马来西亚产食用油混合，然后贴上马来西亚标签再出口，这可能会损害产品的原产地、可追溯性和食品安全。

Maritime Network Sdn Bhd 首席执行官 Datuk Seri R.

Jeyenderan 强调需要进行独立的实验室测试，以验证混合油的成分和质量。

他强调，标签不规范可能会误导消费者，并影响马来西亚作为食品出口国的声誉。

有人呼吁有关部门展开调查，确保马来西亚棕榈油符合国际标准，以维护马来西亚棕榈油品牌的声誉。

吉隆坡，11月5日讯——有传言称，进口食用油与本地生产的食用油混合后，再以马来西亚品牌重新出口，这引发了人们对产品来源、可追溯性和食品安全的担忧，各界呼吁当局对此做法展开调查。

海事网络有限公司首席执行官拿督斯里R·杰延德兰表示，这种被业内人士称为“油类混合物”的做法，需要当局进行更严格的审查，尤其是在产品来源、质量和食品安全方面。

据《The Edge》昨日援引业内人士消息报道，进口棕榈油据称在重新出口前与本地棕榈油混合，这可能导致外国产棕榈油以马来西亚棕榈油的名义销售。报道称，市场上流通的混合比例据称高达75:25或80:20。

杰延德兰表示，对货物清单和提单的检查引发了人们对石油原产国申报方式以及混合后实际成分验证方式的担忧。

在海事行业拥有 30 多年经验的杰延德兰表示，需要进行独立的实验室测试，以确定进口油和最终混合产品是否符合所需的质量和食品安全标准。

他还质疑载货船只离开马来西亚水域之前是否对油样进行了检测，并声称相关船只没有配备专门的实验室设施或合格的化学家来进行详细分析。

“如果没有适当的实验室测试，如何才能独立验证货物的实际成分和质量？”

他在一份声明中表示：“问题不仅在于混合不同类型的油，还在于能否在出口前正确确定最终产品的来源和成分。”

杰延德兰表示，任何污染的可能性都应该通过科学检测来调查，而不是靠猜测。

他问道：“如果石油受到污染，会对公众健康造成什么影响？谁负责确保最终产品可以安全食用？”

他表示，国际规则已经对原产地、检测和可追溯性提出了明确的要求。

根据联合国粮食及农业组织和世界卫生组织通过的国际食品标准《食品法典》，预包装食品标签通用标准要求，如果省略原产国信息会误导或欺骗消费者，则必须标明食品的原产国。

他说：“只有当加工过程改变食品的性质时，食品法典才允许更改产地。仅仅将进口油与马来西亚油混合并不会改变其性质，因此将混合油宣称为完全马来西亚产可能会误导消费者。”

在测试方面，他指出，根据 FOSFA International 签订的国际棕榈油贸易合同，包括与马来西亚棕榈油精炼商协会 (PORAM) 联合签发的 FOSFA 第 81 号合同，需要由合格的调查员进行独立分析。

他还警告说，欧盟森林砍伐条例（EUDR）第 3 条（适用于 2026 年 12 月 30 日起的大型经营者）要求进入欧盟的棕榈油必须能够追溯到其生产的土地。

他表示：“如果马来西亚产棕榈油中混入来源不明的外国棕榈油，整批货物可能无法通过欧盟可追溯性法规（EUDR）的追溯。这将危及马来西亚合法出口商的权益以及我们马来西亚可持续棕榈油认证（MSPO）的信誉，而该法规正值生效之际。”

他敦促有关部门澄清食用油进口、混合、抽样、质量认证和再出口的程序，包括哪些机构负责监督每个阶段。

他表示，适当的文件记录和独立的实验室检测对于确保从马来西亚出口的产品符合相关标准并准确申报原产国至关重要。

他还补充说，如果不解决这些问题，可能会影响消费者信心和马来西亚作为食品出口国的声誉。

一位业内人士表示，如果这种做法属实，可能会在海外市场取代本地生产的棕榈油，并削弱人们对马来西亚棕榈油品牌的信心，包括其MSPO认证和可追溯性框架。

“在业内，这种‘混合物’显然是掺假马来西亚石油。单凭市场无法证实这一点，因此当局需要进行核查。”

消息人士称：“海关、马来西亚棕榈油局 (MPOB) 和投资、贸易及工业部 (MITI) 已经掌握了进口和原产地记录，因此可以很快进行核查。”

马来西亚对外贸易发展局（MATRADE）提醒企业，谨防不法分子冒充该机构官员，索要预付款。

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