Customs confirm wine used in sauce imported to Maldives

Customs Service has confirmed that white wine is an ingredient used to produce Italian Chicken Scallopini simmer sauce by Leggo’s, which was recently imported to Maldives for resale.

Senior Superintendent of Customs, Ahmed Niyaz informed “Sun” on Wednesday that Customs has confirmed that white wine is used to produce the sauce product.

Niyaz said that Customs has confiscated 90 percent of the sauce products imported to the country.

He said that only one shipment of the product had been imported into the country. And they were currently investigating whether any of the products had been transported to the atolls.

When questioned why such a prohibited product could find its way to the Maldivian market,

Niyaz said that it was a great challenge to check each and every product imported, individually.

And that there were keeping a close eye on the issue.

Food and Drug Authority has been unavailable for comment regarding the issue.

Alcohol products are prohibited from being imported into the country for mass resale as it practices Islamic sharia – which forbids Muslims from consuming alcohol.