The Health Ministry ramps up food safety controls nationwide, focusing on Ramadan bazaars and public education to meet its 2030 public health target.
KUALA SELANGOR: The Ministry of Health is accelerating efforts to strengthen food safety control at all levels. Its target is to achieve fewer than 50 cases of food poisoning per 100,000 population by 2030.
Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the goal encompasses the industry, public food premises and educational institutions. This effort aligns with the National Food Safety Action Plan 2024-2030 and the National Food Safety Policy 2.0.
He urged traders to prioritise food hygiene and safety. They must also ensure food sold is clean, of quality and safe for consumption.
“The public is encouraged to practice the concept of ‘Observe and Choose’ by selecting clean premises and prioritising food quality,” he said. Consumers were also advised to practice the simple steps of ‘Look, Smell, Taste’ before enjoying their iftar to reduce risk.
He spoke at the launch of the 2026 National Ramadan Bazaar and Hygiene and Food Campaign here today. Monitoring of Ramadan bazaar safety and cleanliness began early this month through cooperation between State Health Departments and local authorities.
To date, more than 200 hygiene and safe food handling sessions have been organised. These involved stall owners from 77,583 stalls at 1,274 Ramadan bazaar sites nationwide.
Inspections of food preparation premises before Ramadan also included restaurants and hotels providing iftar buffets. A total of 426 inspections have been conducted on ice factories, restaurants and hotels.
Dzulkefly said only one complaint related to Ramadan bazaar cleanliness was recorded in two days of fasting. The complaint was logged via the Public Complaints Management System.
He reminded business owners that selling stale food during Ramadan will lead to compound actions under the Food Act 1983. Action will also be taken against Ramadan bazaar traders detected committing offences.
In a separate development, Dzulkefly said the supply of medicines is guaranteed to be sufficient. This assurance comes despite a slight increase in new tuberculosis cases detected nationwide.
A total of 596 new TB cases were detected up to the sixth Epidemiological Week of this year. This brings the total number of cases to 3,161 so far.
He advised the public to practice proper coughing and sneezing etiquette. Ensuring good ventilation in enclosed spaces is also crucial.
He emphasised that Ramadan is not the cause of the disease’s spread. The increase in social activities and gatherings this month generally enhances community interactions.
The Sun Malaysia
