PETALING JAYA: The number of food poisoning cases increased by almost 24 per cent last yeas, compared with 2017.
A total of 401 cases were recorded in 2017, while 469 cases were recorded last year.
Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said, as of May this year, 213 food poisoning cases were recorded nationwide.
“Of the total, 68 took place at schools under the Education Ministry (MoE), private homes (55); other places (45); schools not under the MoE (26) and institutions (19).
“The ministry looks at this seriously. This shows our safety and cleanliness level should not be looked at lightly anymore,” he said at the inaugural World Food Safety Day programme at eCurve, here, today.
Dzulkefly advised consumers to always buy food from clean premises and practice the “lihat, hidu and rasa” (look, smell and taste) concept to avoid eating spoiled food.
Asked whether the increase in the number of food poisoning cases was due to a lack of education, infrequent checks, dirty habits, lack of manpower or graft among enforcement officers, Dzulkefly said these were constantly being monitored and reviewed.
“There are many factors. In the supply chain, there are many sources of infection,” he said.
Health Ministry food safety and quality senior director Mohd Salim Dulatti said food handling was a factor in food poisoning cases in schools.
“To overcome this problem, the ministry introduced the Kendiri (Self Examination) programme.
“School managements are required to check the level of cleanliness at their premises according to the guidelines set by us.
“The responsibility is a shared-duty and should not be shouldered solely by ministry and this method has proven effective,” he said.
Salim said the ministry had also inculcated the “lihat, hidu and rasa” concept among students during the weekly assembly at schools.
He said school canteens would be ordered to cease operations if there were food poisoning cases.