KOTA KINABALU: Consumers are again advised to be cautious when buying food at the Ramadan bazaar.
“Consumers must be selective and be aware of what is offered. We have the choice to choose. We can never tell when the food is prepared and whether the operator practises good hygiene when preparing them.
“This is important as we do not want consumers to fall victim to those who take for granted cleanliness when preparing the food,” said Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin yesterday.
Speaking when accompanying 60 children to do Raya shopping, a community service organised by the Puteri Umno Papar at the Giant Hypermarket in Kolombong near here, she said that huge number of compounds had been issued to food operators at various Ramadan bazaars nationwide.
She said those who were found to have failed to practise good hygiene were fined RM500.
With over 500 people nationwide reported to have fallen victims to food poisoning since the start of the Ramadan this year, involving recent deaths, the national Puteri Umno chief also said that the ministry was working closely with local authorities to find ways to ensure food operators practise good hygiene.
“The local authorities must implement a method that is well suited to their respective areas to ensure that food operators offer only safe food for consumption to the consumers,” she said.
In the latest episode of suspected food poisoning last week, an 11-year-old girl from Klang died after a bout of vomiting and diarrhoea. She was said to have consumed ais batu campur and otak otak when breaking her fast. The food was bought from a Ramadan bazaar stall.
Her family members were also admitted to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital with similar symptoms.