Terengganu: The Terengganu State Health Department (JKNT) has seized 'eyeball' gummy candies from retail and wholesale outlets in three districts as of today. Terengganu Health director Datuk Dr Kasemani Embong said the seizure in Kuala Nerus, Marang, and Kuala Terengganu, valued at RM1,300, was due to labelling violations.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, enforcement teams from the Food Safety and Quality Unit conducted inspections at retail and wholesale outlets in the said districts and confiscated the products. The JKNT will also continue to monitor and enforce food safety measures and take preventive steps to avoid incidents like the death of a boy who choked on a gummy candy in Penang from recurring. Dr Kasemani conveyed this information to reporters after launching the state-level Cancer Day event at the Sri Langkap community hall in Sungai Tong.

In her speech, Dr Kasemani stated that 565 new cancer cases were reported in the state last year, with 321 involving women and 244 men. She highlighted that the top five cancers in Terengganu are colorectal cancer with 104 cases, followed by breast cancer (88), lung cancer (63), leukaemia (31), and thyroid cancer (29).

However, Dr Kasemani pointed out that breast cancer remains the highest among women with 87 cases, followed by 48 cases of colorectal cancer. She noted that an unhealthy lifestyle, such as an unbalanced diet, is identified as one of the contributing factors to the increase in colorectal cancer cases in the state.