The Malaysian health ministry is stepping up scrutiny on the imported ‘Wang Wang’ rice crackers and collecting its samples for laboratory tests, following a report that coliform and Escherichia coli bacteria were detected in the product in China.

The minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, said Malaysia imported 334,460 boxes of the product this year but was unsure how many were still in the market or whether they were contaminated.

As a precaution, he said the product was placed at Level 5 of the Food Safety Information of Malaysia (Fosim), where the product would be analysed before release into the market.