Health officials have warned workers at five restaurants in Taman Teluk Pulai and Sungai Pinang in Klang to improve their hygiene standards to ensure that the food prepared and sold on-site is safe for consumption. Azmi Muji, the director of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Health Department, stated that health inspectors have intensified their checks on food preparation and handling practices.
During a recent inspection of several eateries, health inspectors found that the food preparation standards in five eateries in both areas were lacking. To address these issues, workers have been instructed to maintain cleanliness in the storage and kitchen areas in order to prevent the accumulation of dirt and mold. Additionally, food storage areas were checked for any signs of pest infestation. However, no fines or penalties were issued.
In Taman Teluk Pulai and Sungai Pinang, 10 samples of cooked food were collected and sent to the food quality laboratory at the Chemistry Department in Petaling Jaya for analysis. The samples were properly labeled and placed in plastic bags for testing. Azmi confirmed that these operations are conducted in accordance with the MPK Food Handling By-law 2007, which includes routine inspections of food premises and food sampling as part of regular surveillance.
Azmi further stated that action may be taken if the laboratory results indicate any form of contamination. He emphasized that the hygiene checks carried out by MPK at eateries are an ongoing process, and any establishments found to be in violation of health codes will be issued with fines or temporarily shut down until the issues are resolved.
Aside from the food hygiene inspections, Azmi also highlighted the challenge of ensuring that all eateries install grease traps. Some operators fail to properly maintain their grease traps, causing grease, fats, and dirty oil to flow into the drains. In some cases, restaurants do not have grease traps installed at all. Grease traps are essential in preventing kitchen waste from polluting the waterways. Azmi explained that the waste found in drains primarily consists of cooking by-products such as food scraps, meat fats, cooking oil, and gravy.
In the next three weeks, the MPK Health Department’s Food Safety and Quality Division will conduct checks on food hygiene and grease traps in specific areas, including Jalan Tengku Kelana, Taman Sri Andalas, Bandar Botanic, and Taman Berkeley.
Credit: The Star : Metro Feed
