KEPALA BATAS – Revolting and nauseating! Faeces from cockroaches and rats were found in a food processing factory during a raid by the Penang State Health Department (JKNPP) at Lorong Bertam Indah this morning.
PIX: Malinda Malik.
The Ops Tegar raid found that the fish and meat ball factory which has been operating for 50 years in the area did not comply with the standards and it was too dirty.
The Environmental Health Officer from the Food Safety and Quality Division of JKNPP, Mohd Wazir Khalid said that the inspections found that the food handler also mixed fish balls with pork balls at the same processing area.
According to him, the food packaging of the fish and meat ball was also confusing as they are labelled in Mandarin and some were not labelled.
“Rats droppings are also found scattered around the store and flies infested the processed fish balls.
“Besides that, we also found packed fish balls on the floor. Its employees did not wear shoes while processing and preparing the wet ingredients,” he told the journalists today.
Local authority and officers from Penang Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) were also present during the operation.
According to Wazir, the factory had committed various offences despite it was raided twice last year.
“Acting on a complaint and scheduled routine inspection, we have informed the owner to comply with the standards and verbal warning was given back then.
“However, the raid today showed that they have failed to do so and the offence was major as it could cause food poisoning,” he said.
He added, the factory is ordered shut for 14 days for sanitisation works according to Section 11 of the Food Act 1983.
“Besides that, each employee of the factory was also fined RM300 according to Regulation 32 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, involving the clothing of food handler,” he said. –MalaysiaGazette
