PUTRAJAYA – Food poisoning cases in this country are still under control with the Health Ministry implementing various intervention programmes to raise food safety levels and prevent food poisoning incidents, said its minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
According to ministry data, he said, 288 food poisoning episodes were reported in 2020 and another 123 this year until September.
“The ministry, through the food quality and safety programme, is responsible for ensuring that food and raw items at local markets adhere to the Food Act 1983.”
He was speaking at the Clean and Safe Market Awards 2020/2021 presentation held in conjunction with the World Food Safety Day today.
Khairy noted that 2,654 out of over 45,000 food samples and raw items such as meat, fish, vegetables, and fruits from local markets analysed following monitoring by the ministry from 2018 to August 20 this year, or 5.9% of the samples, were found to have flouted the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.
According to statistics from the Housing and Local Government Ministry, the local authorities inspected 273 public markets across the country last year in view of such markets being patronised by the public for their daily necessities.
“Contamination can occur through various sources such as microorganisms, chemicals, and physical elements at the markets if the handling of the raw items is not clean and safe,” said Khairy. – Bernama, November 24, 2021
