PUTRAJAYA – Pufferfish, which contain dangerous toxins, are not allowed to be sold in Malaysia, said Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said the sale of pufferfish is controlled under the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority Act 1972 and that Section 13 of the Food Act 1983 prohibits the sale of any food that has in or upon it any substance which is poisonous, harmful, or otherwise injurious to health.
“Therefore, pufferfish which contain dangerous toxins are not allowed to be sold,” he said today.
He said this in the wake of reports that an elderly woman in Kluang, Johor died of poisoning last Saturday, while her husband is still being treated in an intensive care unit, after consuming pufferfish.
Dr Noor Hisham said data from the Disease Control Division of the Health Ministry showed 58 pufferfish poisoning incidents involving 18 deaths reported in the country between 1985 and March 2023.
Dr Noor Hisham said MoH’s Food Safety and Quality Division (FSQD) had produced educational materials to increase public awareness on the dangerous toxins in pufferfish.
“MoH will continue to educate the public on food safety, including the danger of consuming pufferfish,” he said.
According to him, a survey conducted by FSQD in 2019 showed that 86% of the respondents, comprising the public, fishmongers, fishermen, and cooks, had sufficient knowledge on the danger of consuming pufferfish. – Bernama, March 30, 2023
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