It seems at least two government agencies are not on the same page about what to have for dessert: the Health Ministry, in an indirect refutation of what thre Royal Malaysian Police said just yesterday, announced that there are currently no prohibitions on the import and use of poppy seeds for cooking purposes.
Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam told mStar that the amount of poppy seeds required for most recipes is very small, and therefore not likely to cause a narcotic effect on consumers.
“Still, we will monitor developments to ensure that there is no abuse of the ingredient,” he said.
“Members of the public need to let us know if they suspect any eatery of using inordinate amounts of poppy seeds in their cooking.”
Yesterday, KL Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department chief SAC Wan Abdullah Ishak warned Malaysians against consuming cakes and other dishes that contain poppy seeds, which he said could lead to them testing positive for morphineshould they be checked by authorities.
Abdullah also said eating large amounts of poppy seed cakes could induce a morphine high in consumers.
The police would also charge consumers who test positive for morphine from eating too many cakes under Section 15(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, which carries a maximum two years’ jail or RM5,000 fine, for taking drugs.
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