KUALA LUMPUR: The spate of food poisoning cases reported recently is cause for concern, the most talked about one being the contaminated ‘laksa’ sold at a stall in Kupang, Kedah, which caused two deaths.
The same ‘laksa’ has resulted in 83 cases of food poisoning, including the two deaths, in three states as of Oct 22.
Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah had said in a statement that 34 of the cases, including the two deaths, occurred in Perak; 25 in Kedah; and 24 in Selangor.
In another incident, a total of 52 students at Tahfiz Darul Ulum in Senawang, Negeri Sembilan, came down with food poisoning last week after consuming food donated by a member of the public.
Negeri Sembilan Health director Dr Zainudin Mohd Ali said the students, aged between seven and 12, were sent to Hospital Tuanku Jaafar, Seremban, for treatment.
The mistake most Malaysians make is their tendency to take the easy way out when it comes to food matters. Cleanliness is the last thing on their mind when they stop at a food outlet to satisfy their hunger pangs or when they are given free food to eat.
The ones who take the “easy way out” are usually working people who are so busy with their work that they stop to eat at any place deemed convenient to them.
The biggest culprits are food operators who pay no heed to the cleanliness of the food prepared at their premises and whose main focus is to generate higher profits for themselves (this writer, however, is not implying that all food operators are rogues).
I have seen with my own eyes a food operator at a certain place in Kuala Lumpur, which I will not identify, who uses tap water from a nearby public toilet for making flavoured drinks which he serves to his customers. Not less than a hundred people patronise his outlet daily.
The operator’s action is clearly immoral as his customers have no clue that the drinks they are enjoying are prepared from water sourced from a public toilet!
The foot outlet in question is actually a stall located beside a drain and I have seen rats scurrying around the foul-smelling drain.
Indeed, there is a need for customers, food operators and enforcement authorities to take proactive action to control food poisoning.
Customers or the public, on their part, should exercise more care when choosing a food outlet. Observe its level of cleanliness and check if it has a business license and (for Muslim customers) is certified halal. Observe the handling of the food and drinks by the operator. What do your instincts tell you? Remember, your instincts will never lie.
The public should also report to the Health Ministry or Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) if they come across premises that fail to meet the required specifications or don’t possess a valid business license.
In this digital technology era, it is so simple to channel’s one complaint to the authorities. Just visit their website to post your complaint there. The Health Ministry’s website is http://moh.spab.gov.my, while DBKL’s is http://ispaaadbkl.dbkl.gov.my.
To me, the best possible way to avoid food poisoning is eating home-cooked food. Yes, prepare your meals at home and take some packed food with you when you go to the office or go out somewhere. Food prepared with love in a clean environment is always safe to eat.
Operators of food premises, meanwhile, must introspect about why they are in this business – are they out to serve the needs of their customers or merely want to reap profits?
If they don’t possess a valid business license, then they should get one as soon as possible before one of their customers report them to the authorities or they are apprehended by enforcement officers.
Next comes cleanliness. The operators should carry out routine checks to ensure that their premises are clean and the food is prepared and cooked in a hygienic manner. It is also compulsory for both the operator and his workers to practise a high standard of personal hygiene.
If they sincerely undertake to provide the best possible service to their customers, they
will be rewarded bountifully.
Finally, the relevant enforcement agencies should carry out more frequent and structured checks on food premises, especially those located at bazaars and marketplaces.
The authorities could also team up with the Health Ministry and the relevant non-governmental organisations to conduct courses on hygiene management for food operators.
The Health Ministry also deserves praise for strictly enforcing the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985, as well as the Food Safety Regulations 2009.
I would like to conclude by highlighting this quote by Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad who advised the public to “practise safety by choosing to buy food from premises that are clean, and practise the concept of ‘see, smell and taste’ to avoid eating food that has gone bad.”
(This commentary expresses the personal views of the writer and does not reflect BERNAMA’s stand on the issue.) – Bernama