PETALING JAYA: Out of 243 samples of mandarin oranges, nine samples or 3.7% were found to have excessive levels of pesticide and were disposed of, the health ministry said.
The ministry said in a statement that it had been monitoring imported mandarin oranges in conjunction with the Chinese New Year season at all 70 entry points across the country since November.
The ministry said China, South Africa, Japan, Australia, and Egypt were the major exporters of mandarin oranges to Malaysia last year.
The statement said the ministry kicked off a nationwide operation from Jan 19 to Feb 1, in conjunction with Chinese New Year, to check the safety of food products.