Two dirty food processing premises in Penang ordered closed for two weeks, says state Health Dept

BUTTERWORTH, Nov 11 — Two premises — a soy sauce factory and a bakery — have been ordered to close for two weeks, due to dirty conditions and non-compliance with food safety and quality standards, in the ‘Ops Bersih’ conducted by the Penang Health Department.

The department’s Food Safety and Quality Division (BKKM) Environmental Health officer, Mohd Wazir Khalid, said that the two premises were issued with nine compounds worth almost RM9,000.

“Through an inspection carried out on the two premises, we found that the level of cleanliness did not meet the standards stipulated under the Food Safety Assurance Programme (PJKM) which can cause food poisoning.

“Therefore, the department has issued a closure notice order, under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983, for 14 days for the two premises, effective today,” he said at a press conference after the operation here today.

He said that the raid on the soy sauce factory in Bagan Ajam, at 10 am today, showed that there were foreign materials, such as dried leaves, twigs and bird feathers, found in a fibre-glass barrel used to marinate soybean.

“Other animal faeces could also have entered it, which is a risk for food poisoning, while the 20-year-old barrel is in a rotten condition, besides finding fungus on the unwashed liner,” he said.

Head of Penang Food Safety and Quality Division for Ministry of Health Mohd Wazir Khalid checking a few of the soy sauce containers during an operation near Butterworth on November 11, 2021. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

Mohd Wazir said that the soy sauce factory, which has been operating for 50 years, was also suspected of using contaminated recycled plastic bottles.

“The plastic bottles found (behind the premises) were not washed according to the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of hygiene, and were done in the open and exposed to lizard droppings,” he said, adding that the factory was subject to five compounds of about RM5,000.

Meanwhile, he said that the bread-making premises in Raja Uda here had been issued with four compounds of about RM4,000 after they found rat droppings in the storage of bread trays.

“We also found a layer of oil on the multi-tiered tray trolley and the bread tray itself, causing oil to drip on the raw bread at the bottom, causing contamination and food poisoning,” he said.

Also involved in the operation was a 26-strong enforcement team of Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP). — Bernama