Kuala Muda District - Food Safety and Quality Control

Kuala Muda DHO Posting
Eight Day (14th July 2009)

First Session
Venue : Meeting Room (Inspectorate Unit)
Time : 9.00 am
Topic : Briefing on Food Safety and Quality Control Unit
Persons in charge : PPKP Asif

Objective:
1. To protect the public against health hazards and fraud in the preparation, sale and storage of food.
2. Ensure that all food preparation, sale and storage of food material are safe and hygienic.
3. Ensure that all food material sold are:
a. Free from contamination and prohibited food additives
b. Compliance with the legislations and regulations;
c. Labeled and advertised in a clear and non-misleading manner.
4. Ensure that all food imported into the country is safe and in compliance with Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.
5. Ensure that the public receives sufficient information on food safety.

Activities:

1. Food Sampling
– Food sampling is carried out to ensure that the food prepared or sold in Kuala Muda district is safe and comply with the provisions of the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985.
– Food sampling is divided according to analysis parameter as follows:
• Microbiology
• Chemical
• Physical
– For physical and microbiological sampling, only one sample is collected.
– For chemical sampling, three samples are collected:
• One will be sent to the chemical lab.
• One will be kept in the Food Safety and Quality Control (KMM) unit.
• One will be kept by the retailer.
– If the retailer is not satisfied with the chemical lab result, the retailer can use his/her sample for another analysis. If the 2nd result does not coincide with the 1st result, then the sample from the KMM unit will be used for the 3rd analysis and this will be the mandatory result.
– Target: 900 food samples per year.

2. Inspection and Closure of Food Premises
– Inspection of food premises is one of the routine activities to ensure hygiene level of premises is satisfactory and to ensure food safety.
– Demerit system is practiced. In this system, each food premise will be given the initial 100 marks upon which marks will be deducted based on the violations. Form KMM3P2 which contains the checklist of inspection is used.
– Color code is used to group the food premises base on the marks.
• Green color – A grade.
• Blue color – B grade
• Yellow color – C grade
• Red color – D grade, close the premise.
– Target: 1200 premises inspected per year.

Second Session - Group 1 (Outdoor activity)
Venue : Econsave Taman Petani Jaya, Sungai Petani
Time : 11.30 am
Topic : Food Sampling
Persons in charge : PPKP Asif & PPKP Firdaus

Aims: to ensure that the vegetables and fruits are free from contamination (pesticides)

Procedure:
1. Introduce and get consent from the supervisor in charge.
2. Explain the purpose and procedure of food sampling.
3. Select and collect the samples.
4. For all fresh fruits and vegetables with small and medium size product unit (<250>250gram) 2kg are sampled.
5. Pay the bills. (Formal sampling)
6. Pack the sample by using brown paper and seal it with a Ministry of Health sticker in front of the supervisor in charge.
7. All the receipts and labels are kept for future reference.
8. Collect the information about the supplier and fill the respective forms:
a. Food Sampling Notice (Food Act 1983 Section 6 (1))
b. Request form for Food Sample Analysis (Form A)
Remarks:
1. 3 samples are collected for chemical sampling.
– One will be sent to the chemical lab.
– One will be kept in the Food Safety and Quality Control (KMM) unit.
– One will be kept by the retailer.

***However only one sample is collected in this operation because the sample will spoil easily.

2. For micro and physical sampling only one sample is taken, because the sample will spoil easily.

*The amount of fine and compound on food act violations will be added later.

Second Session - Group 2 (Outdoor activity)
Venue : Radix Fried Chicken, Sungai Petani
Time : 11.30 am
Topic : Premise Inspection
Persons in charge : PPKP Adam & PPKP Johari

On arrival of the premise, the health inspectors introduced themselves and showed their authority badges. Then, they called for the manager in-charge and explained the purpose of the visit.

One of the PPKP inspected all the relevant documents pertaining to the workers who handle the food (the workers’ typhoid injection certificates were examined for validity – valid for 3 years). He will also update the record of the current food handlers on the premise.

The other PPKP inspected the premise with the help of checklist form ‘Premis Makanan KMM3P2’. The inspection focuses on:
- Food
- Food handler
- Utensils and equipments
- Water supply
- Sanitation and drainage
- Hand washing facility
- Domestic waste disposal
- Floor and premise interiors
- Others

Any violations under the Food Act 1983 (Section 10 & 11) will be explained to the manager and workers. The health inspectors are also responsible to give brief relevant health education to the food handlers pertaining to their job. Brochures and pamphlets are also handed out. Once the inspection has finished, the manager in-charge will have to sign the form as evidence that he or she was present during the inspection. A copy of the form will be given to the manager and the other will be kept by the health inspectors. A yellow authority sticker will be pasted on the wall of the premise as evidence that the premise has been inspected. The sticker contains information about:
- the name of the owner of the premise
- the date of the inspection
- the score of the premise
- the name of the health inspectors who has done the inspection

The health inspectors will come for another visit after a year if the performance of the premise is excellent, otherwise another visit will be scheduled in a short period of time to reassess the premise.