HYGIENE VIOLATION: MELAKA HEALTH DEPARTMENT ISSUES 1,933 NOTICES TOTALLING RM320,900

MELAKA, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- The Melaka Health Department issued 1,933 food hygiene violation notices totalling RM320,900 between Jan 1 and Nov 23 this year.

State Health director Dr Ruzita Mustaffa said 49 food premises, including four school canteens, were ordered to close for 14 days under the Food Act 1983 due to rat droppings, cockroach infestations and poor hygiene standards.

“The department inspected 5,841 premises, including schools, restaurants, and hotels during the period and recorded 20 food poisoning outbreaks in Melaka,“ she told reporters at the Clean, Healthy and Safe (BeSS) award ceremony held here today.

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Dr Ruzita attributed the outbreaks to improper food handling, such as delayed consumption, cross-contamination, and inadequate thawing of frozen food.

She said 191 food premises, including 22 school canteens and 50 food outlets, received Clean, Healthy, and Safe (BeSS) certification over the past three years, with 72 awarded this year.

“The certification ensures consumer confidence in safe, hygienic food, marked by the BeSS logo displayed at certified premises,” she said, adding that the initiative supports Visit Melaka Year 2024 by promoting the state as a gastronomic destination.

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To qualify for BeSS certification, premises must score at least 86 per cent in hygiene inspections, register with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM), and obtain local authority approval, while food handlers must complete training and receive typhoid vaccinations.

-- BERNAMA