DBKL to monitor Ramadan bazaars to ensure food safety

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) is monitoring all Ramadan bazaars in the federal capital to ensure food sold at such stalls is safe for consumption.

DBKL Socio-Economic Development executive director Datuk Mohd Sauffi Muhammad said food samples were taken randomly, according to the types of food which could be easily contaminated by unhygienic handling.

"About 770 samples will be taken from 14 selected Ramadan bazaars, especially the larger sites popular among the people," he said in a media conference after opening the Jalan Kuching Ramadan Bazaar here today.

Mohd Sauffi said the operation to gather food samples began today, and would end on June 23, while sanitation inspections would continue until the end of Ramadan.

He said the food samples would be analysed by DBKL Health and Environment Department Food Quality Laboratory for bacteria, adding that compounds would be issued to the hawkers if their samples were found to be contaminated.

He noted that consumers should be more discerning when purchasing, and choose hawkers who maintained cleanliness.

This year, 89 Ramadan bazaars will be opened in the federal capital, for which the DBKL issued almost 6,000 hawker licences. — Bernama