PETALING JAYA: The Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) has called for jail terms to be imposed on food factory operators who flout safety and hygiene regulations.
Its chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah said constant changes in the food sector needs to be monitored to ensure food safety and quality standards are not compromised.
“Diseases such as leptospirosis, which is a serious disease caused by urine from rodents, can seriously affect the health of consumers. We need to impose jail terms on those who violate the law.
“As we know, consumption of food or drinks laced with rodent urine can cause serious illnesses and even death,” he said.
“The government’s food safety and quality division is doing its best to enforce the law. But they are limited by city and town council jurisdictions, and these bodies also have to carry out periodic checks to ensure food manufacturers are licensed to operate.“
Saravanan also said public complaints need to be taken seriously and urged enforcement units to impose heavier penalties on unhygienic food operators.
Malaysian Society of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine past president Assoc Prof Dr Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain was previously reported to have said that after dengue and malaria, leptospirosis is the third most deadly disease in Malaysia.
“Based on the latest studies conducted by Universiti Malaya, leptospirosis was very prevalent during the rainy season and accounted for 12,325 cases with 338 deaths over an eight-year period from 2004,” she said.
“The risk of contracting leptospirosis is higher during (the rainy season) as urine from rodents like rats is easily transmitted through flowing water.”
Consumer Association Penang research officer Hatijah Hashim said there is lack of enforcement by the authorities and poor commitment from food producers to ensure high standards of hygiene.
“Ultimately, consumers are the ones who suffer. Health authorities should conduct more frequent checks on food outlets and report their findings to the public.
“We already have food hygiene regulations. No amount of laws can solve the problem without proper enforcement,” she added.
On April 2, two factories in George Town were ordered to close for two weeks due to dirty conditions, including the presence of rodent droppings in the food manufacturing and storage areas.
Penang Health Department Food Safety and Quality Division environmental health officer Mohd Wazir Khalid said during its Ops Tegar 2 raids at the two premises, they found that the level of cleanliness failed to meet hygiene standards.
He said during inspection of a soybean product processing factory in Batu Lanchang, enforcement officers found rodent droppings and cockroaches.
Barrels containing soybean were also found in the toilet area during checks at the factory, which had been in operation for the past 10 years.
