Probe All Poultry Farms Over Food Safety Standards Says Cap

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Singapore recalled eggs from a Malaysian farm on Oct 15 because of the presence of salmonella enteritidis.PETALING JAYA: The Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) has called on authorities to investigate all poultry farms in the country after Singapore recalled eggs from a Malaysian farm because of the presence of salmonella enteritidis (SE).
CAP president Mohideen Abdul Kadir said an investigation was necessary to ensure that poultry farms comply with food safety regulations.
In a statement, Mohideen said the authorities should look into how the chickens are reared as it could have contributed to the salmonella contamination.
While SE can be destroyed by heat, he said, it can survive in raw and undercooked eggs, causing food-borne illnesses such as diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting.
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“It is strange that such an incident was not discovered by our local authorities earlier even though it is estimated that Malaysians consume 30 million eggs daily,” he said.
“Given the situation, many Malaysian consumers may have unknowingly consumed contaminated eggs.”
Mohideen also called for a committee to investigate the “weaknesses of our monitoring system” with regards to food safety.
He said that despite the existence of laws such as the Food Act 1983, the Food Regulations 1985, and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, Malaysia “rarely hears” of local produce being recalled.
He pointed out that over the past seven years, various Malaysian produce, ranging from vegetables to prawns, had been rejected by the US, China and Singapore for health safety reasons.
These reasons include pesticide levels and sulphur dioxide levels exceeding limits set by foreign agencies, the presence of banned antibiotics, and the presence of pseudomonas aeruginosa, a common bacterium found in faeces, soil, water and sewage.
“The recurring reports on unsafe Malaysian food products by overseas authorities clearly show that our food safety monitoring is inadequate,” he said. - FMT

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