MyCafe’s durian white coffee has become a hot topic recently after several people were rushed to the hospital from drinking the beverage.
However, as the company and the authorities have dug deeper into the case, the plot thickened. Here are some interesting facts that have been uncovered during this investigation so far;
1. Five victims were rushed to the hospital after drinking the durian white coffee
All of these victims suffered from dizziness and extreme fatigue minutes after drinking the beverage on 30 January. This incident became incredibly viral after a video of two security guards falling ill began circulating on social media.
Source: Facebook
Source: Facebook
2. All the victims received the 4-in-1 coffee mixtures from total strangers
In a statement released by MyCafe, the company actually received a call from a woman on 29 January saying that she felt uncomfortable after drinking the coffee.
“When we visited the woman, she told us that she visited a temple and got the coffee from there. She also told us that her friend who drank the same coffee from the temple also suffered from similar symptoms.
“The next day, a video went viral on social media showing two other victims. We understand that the coffee mixture that they drank was also given by strangers,” the company said in a statement.
Source: Facebook
3. The packages were actually cut open and resealed
The company examined the packaging of the problematic products and discovered that the bottom was actually cut open and resealed.
On the weighing machine, the tampered product is 12 grams heavier than the original packet as illustrated by the picture below, meaning someone may have added something to the coffee mixture.
Source: Sinchew
4. 10 grams of a green substance was added to the coffee mixture
According to the Health Minister, the foreign substance is suspected to be a psychoactive substance.
“We want the police to investigate how this substance could have gone into the premix coffee,” Dr S. Subramaniam said, adding that it’s possible that a syndicate is behind all these incidents.
5. On 3 February, two more victims were hospitalised
The latest victims were two rubbish truck drivers who fainted after drinking the white coffee given by their colleague – a Bangladeshi garbage collector.
Source: Kwong Wah
Source: Kwong Wah
The Bangladeshi worker found two packets of white coffee in a dustbin and gave one to the drivers. The duo started vomiting and experiencing dizziness just ten minutes after drinking the coffee on Saturday.
“The coffee tasted bitter, but I didn’t suspect anything. After drinking half a cup, I felt dizzy and nauseated before passing out,” one of the drivers said.
The other driver also fainted and woke up in the hospital. They added that they had no idea about the ongoing issue and that the coffee they drank was original flavour, not durian flavour.
“We have contacted the supervisor of the garbage-collecting company to look for the worker. We want him to hand us the packets for investigation,” George Town OCPD Asst Comm Anuar Omar said.
6. Singapore has recalled MyCafe’s 4-in-1 Penang Durian White Coffee
“Consumers who have purchased the product can return them to the retailer. When in doubt of the safety of a food product, do not consume,” the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore said.
Source: MMO
7. There’s no recall of the coffee mixture in Malaysia yet
After the authorities visited the factory and tested their products, there is no evidence to suggest that the main product line has been contaminated.
“Apart from these few packets, there is no evidence right now to pin the blame on its producers. We did not find narcotic elements and do not have any evidence to incriminate the manufacturer,” Dr Subramaniam said.
Source: The Star
Let’s hope the authorities can bust the suspected syndicate behind these despicable acts to prevent more Malaysians from getting poisoned. Stay vigilant and don’t accept beverages from strangers, guys!
Also read: MyCafe Releases Statement Addressing The Durian White Coffee Case, Here’s What Happened
