Dept issues 153 warnings to Labuan vendors
Published on: Friday, May 24, 2019
By: Iffah Dilaney
LABUAN: Some 153 warnings were issued to Ramadan bazaar vendors during inspections conducted by the Health Department here throughout the fasting month.
Its Director Dr Ismuni Bohari said the warnings involved issues regarding attire (48), health certificate/typhoid vaccination (38), handling of food (57) and exposed food (10).
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“We inspected more than 300 vendors and stalls at all Ramadan bazaars and took a friendly and educational approach towards them.
“Overall, most vendors complied fully with the Food Regulations. No notices or summonses were issued to traders throughout the fasting month,” he said after inspecting stalls at the Labuan Walk Bazaar, here, Thursday.
The department also collected a total of 25 food samples for safety analysis.
Dr Ismuni said the samples were taken from various types of food deemed to be high risk to ensure they were safe.
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“The samples will be sent to the food safety and quality laboratory in Kota Kinabalu to be analysed and once the results are out, we will look at them to see what needs to be done.
“Every year the data will vary. If it shows a lot of violations, we will enhance our efforts to promote food safety,” he said.
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Dr Ismuni said health personnel would visit all Ramadan bazaars here constantly to collect food samples for analysis, which is expected to take 14 days.
“The health officers will continue to carry out food safety awareness and promotion campaigns throughout the year.”
He said offenders could face action as the Food Hygiene Regulations came into force in 2010.
“We will carry out monitoring and awareness activities, besides increasing our effort to promote food safety,” he said.
Thursday’s inspection also included personnel from the Labuan Corporation (LC) enforcement team and health officers.
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