THE Health Ministry (MOH) has called for parties donating food to welfare homes and tahfiz centres to prioritise food safety, saying the Food Bank’ Safety Guidelines stipulate measures for both donors and recipients on how to handle contributed food.
In a statement on Thursday (June 20), the ministry said food donors should ensure that the food provided is safe to be consumed and include information on the time and date of its preparation as well as its expiry date.
“The food should also be consumed within four hours of preparation. Recipients of donated food must record this information and ensure that the food received is in good condition and safe by looking, smelling, and tasting it upon receipt,” MOH said.
Kenyataan Media Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia
Isu Lambakan Dan Status Keselamatan Makanan Yang Disumbangkan Di Rumah Kebajikan Dan Pusat Tahfiz pic.twitter.com/SzQHkT0GaB
— KKMalaysia🇲🇾🩺❤️ (@KKMPutrajaya) June 20, 2024
It said recipients have the right to reject the food should it be in poor condition, with broken packaging, comes without preparation information or if the food was prepared more than four hours ago.
“The Health Ministry takes the matter seriously and urges all food donors and recipients to always prioritise food safety to avoid food poisoning that could jeopardise the recipients’ health,” MOH stated.
It was previously reported that on June 11, the Selangor health department had found that 82 people experienced food poisoning symptoms after consuming meal at the programme held at the school.
Selangor health director Dr Ummi Kalthom Shamsudin said the department had received the report on the food poisoning incident at the programme that involved 30 primary schools.
She said investigations had revealed that 82 people, or 33% of the 247 who consumed the food, had experienced symptoms. Two others had died.
Dr Ummi Kalthom further noted that those affected showed symptoms of food poisoning after consuming a breakfast of fried noodles and eggs, which had “changed in taste and appearance”.
The food was provided by an external caterer for the teachers and the programme organisers. – June 20, 2024
Main pic credit: Bernama
