December 19 Classes

We appreciate the supports from our customers on December 2019 and we hope to provide training for your peers, friends, or anyone who need Food Handlers Training Course and certificate in the near future.

1 December class @ Citarasaku, Tawau

7 December class @ Asrama Kompleks Sukan Sandakan

8 December class @ E-Life Training Centre, Lahad Datu

9 December class @ Lam Soon Plantations Sdn Bhd, Lahad Datu

11 December class @ Kinabalu Pine Resort, Kundasang

12 December class @ BW Hotel Management Sdn Bhd, Mantanani Island

14 December class @ Jackyz Solution, Tawau

21 December class @ Jabatan Pendidikan Kunak

28 December class @ Citarasaku, Tawau

5 Guidelines of Chicken Handling

When handling chicken, or other meat, we should be very careful as all kind of meat are high risked food - bacteria easily multiply on it if it is not handled properly.  So, kindly handling the food according to the guidelines of Health Department.

1. Choosing chicken meat

So choose only good quality / fresh chicken meat to avoid the food spoilage. Do remember that the quality of cooked food is depend also the type of raw food we choose. Make sure the chicken is

1.1 fresh
1.2 in good texture
1.3 free from slime
1.4 free from bruise
1.5 odour free
1.6 shiny colour

2. Chicken cleaning process

Do cut the chicken according the required size.  Wash, clean them using clean water and put them in a clean container.  Make sure the container and equipment to be used are cleaned. 

3. Chicken Meat Keeping

The cleaned chicken meat should be cooked immediately as the food is easily spoiled. Otherwise, do put it the freezing compartment (< 0oC) .  However, if there is electric failure, the chicken should be cooked as soon as when the chicken meat is getting soft.

4. Chicken Meat Defrost

Wait...Before cooking the frozen chicken meat, do defrost them using either one of the followings: 

4.1 Soak in clean container with running water on it.
4.2 Put it in microwave and press "defrost"
4.3 Put it at Chiller of the refrigerator.

5. Cooking process

Make sure chicken meat is cooked thoroughly and no blood stain on the meat or bone. If there is, do cook again.  Also make sure the boiled water is clear, not in pink colour. 

Here is it.  Happy cooking....


Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Kedah State Health department.

Unclear Labeling on Food Product

There is News on 6 December 2019 stating products of "banana milk" was labelled with mis-leading information and had been advertised at electronic media, printing media, sosial media, catalogue and so on. 

The product is declared as help to reduce high blood pressure, detoxification. increase metabolism, control insulin production and the oxygen movement, reduce obesity etc etc. looking into this, the Ministry of Health of Malaysia is taking action against the producer as it is against the 1983 Food Act.    

Do take note that they are regulations on declaration about the products.  There are wordings or sentences that can be used with some conditions. 

There are also some sentences cannot be used.  Basically, declaration should be "as where it is", not overclaimed, and mis-leading.  

The best practice is, before you are distributing your own product to the market, do study the labeling part of 1983 Food Act and 1985 Food Regulations and  consult Health Department officers for confirmation, then to print the label and stick on the product. 

Hopefully this information is beneficial to the food processors. 

Credit: Sir Sazly Tulih

Date informations on packaged foods that you ought to know

When choosing packaged food to hypermarket, we can see there are different kind of date printing.  The most common wording are 

1. USED BEFORE

2. BEST BEFORE

What are the difference? Many people do not understand, thinking that after the date printed on packaged food means not saved to be eaten.  Actually, for "BEST BEFORE", if the food are stored after the date, it can still be consumed, only that the food quality is decreasing.  After the date, we can check the odour, taste and the texture of the food.  Normally the food can still be kept for less than 90 days. Whereas for "USED BEFORE", after the date, the food is not safe to be consumed.

Food processor should determine the expiry date on the packaged food, after studying the ingredients and process type. For instance, the ingredients which also have its expiry dates. 

    

Credit: Tuan Mohd Khairul Azli Sahrom

Contaminated ice

Did you ever heard that ice cube as the root cause of food poisoning?

It happened when ice cube is kept together with raw food such as chicken, meat and fish in freezer. 

Cross-contamination occurs when bacteria from raw food is transferred to ice cube. Raw food can be cooked before consuming but not for ice cube.   So, we must be careful, especially if we are food premise personnel or food businessman. Food poisoning can cause dealth if it is not controlled in the early stage. 

Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Ministry of Health

Would you eat at such place?

A restaurant were spot checked and many terrible situation were found. Do you think the authority should give "0" mark to this restaurant in the premise inspection?  

Yes, it happen that the authority ever give 0 mark to this kind of restaurant.  Well, I believe you would not have appetite to  have food in here after you saw the terrible and disgusting situation. 

Food Handlers should always aware about the food hygiene.  If our premise is not hygiene, we will attract pests to contaminate our premise, equipment and food. When our food are contaminated, it will resulting our customer suffer from food poisoning.  let's see what are the non-conformances in food premise - 

1. Food Handlers is not taking Typhoid vaccination and not attending Food Handlers Training Course. 

2. Food Handlers is not wearing apron, closed shoe (wearing only slippers), have long nails, and wearing accessories when handling food. 

3. Using rubber hose that was allowed touching the floor with water.
4. Dish washing place and glass is put adjacent to drain (that causing odour in the premise) 

5. Do not have proper ventilation and lighting in food preparing area.
6. Using used paper and carton to store raw food and culinary equipment.
7. Putting raw food directly on the floor with water, without storing container or liner 

8. Raw food is not arranged properly according to FIFO (First-in-First-Out) system

9. Not using clean towel and doing varies of cleaning activity with only one (1) tower. 

10. Not registering premise via FOSIM Domestic system before the commencement of food business.  

11. No periodically pest control (Cockrachers, Fly & mouse) in the premise.
12. Culinary equipment is not in proper condition, rusty, chopping board is dirty etc etc.
13. Raw food is stored too closed in freezer.

14. Stagnant water in kitchen.

And many more....

These are perhaps a bunch of food handlers / food premise which is only cares about profits then food safety.  Let us avoid this situation in our food business.  Think about the consistency on food business and make sure food hygiene and safety is taken care of.       

Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Health Department

How to store food (In freezer)?

High risk food (all kind of meat) should be kept in freezer with the temperature below 0 deg C.  However, the storage should be in order, not too many (food) squeezed in the space as shown in the above picture. 

When the small space freezer is squeezed with many foods, there is less ventilated all the food could not freezed probably.  When the food's temperature is not cold, the bacteria in food will keep multiplying and the food will be spoiled.  Consuming spoiled food will result food poisoning! 

We should taking care of the safety and quality of our food wherever we are (our food premises or our home).  Avoid Food contamination.



Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Labuan Federal Territory Health Department

What should be complied while running a food truck business?

Food Truck business had become a lifestyle, a trend and common in most of the city / town in Malaysia, agree? Are you interested to invest into this business? If yes, you should have a look at the Food Truck requirements set by Ministry of Health.  Here you go ~    1. Premise RegistrationDo register your food truck with MOH.  Having done that, make sure to display the premise registration slip.2. Food HandlersYou and your crew should attend Food Handlers Training Course and obtain Certificate. You are also required to have health examination and Ty2 vaccination at your local government or private clinic.  make sure you keep the certificate and Ty2 vaccination card in your Food Truck for spot inspection by Health department Enforcement officer.  Food handlers also need to maintain good personal hygiene.  3. FacilityMake sure the Food truck is clean, have easy-to-clean surface. 4. EquipmentAll equipment and utensils should be cleaned, in good condition, no rusty.  If yes, kindly replace them with proper one5. Operation controlTo make sure the work is operated properly to keep Food Hygiene and Food Safety.6. Cleaning and MaintenanceTo make sure the truck, facilities, utensils are cleaned and maintained well.7. Pest Control      To make sure the truck is free from pest.

How kind of MOH to make a video about Food Truck requirement. Do watch the video for a precise understanding.  Make sure to watch til the end...   Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Kedah State Health Department

Why should we label the storage of food?

What do you think about the news?  How could noodles contain pesticide? 

it is apparently the raw food and the food for cooking is not labelled.  Although it is a small matter that many food handlers might ignore, failing to do so could cause food handlers mis-taken the hazardous item / chemical to cook.    

Further more, if mis-put detergent powder, thinner or pesticide like carbamate in the food while cooking, it will be dentrimental to the consumers.  On 2016 at Batu Gajah, Perak, a person died after consuming food which is contaminated by carbamate (a kind of pesticide).  From this incident, we could imagine how sad of the victim's family and how guilty does the cook felt.  Thus, as Food handlers, we do not want this to happen on our customers or us. 

The above photo shows that the food is put into container but there is no label, and the food is wraped with newspaper.  If we are not putting label, we might forget to put in the correct ingredient into the food or for consumption.  Furthermore, the newspaper contain chemical and the ink of letter could contaminate the food that is wrapped.

Food labeling is important as an indicator of each food that we are storing.  It is good also to write storage date on the label so that food handlers know how long does the food is stored and used. Label should be out on the container body and not the cap.  it is Food handlers' responsibility to make sure the food are save, fresh and clean.   

Credit: Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Health department, Food Safety & Quality Division

Place for food handling

According to Regulation 36(a) of 2009 Food Hygiene Regulations, a food handler who prepares, packs or serves food for sale shall ensure the preparation, packing or serving of food is free from any contamination.

Did you ever seen the way of food handling as shown on your right? Would you consume the food prepared at such place, in such a way?

Handling food on the floor would contaminate the food.  The contamination could be from the splashed of dirty water from the floor, or drain water, or from slippers of people passing by. 

As long as the level is stepped with foot, it is floor and we could not wash, handle, clean food on it, even washing utensils. 

  

The purpose of wearing apron

Apron should be used to avoid contamination from our body (including cloth) to the food.   But somehow, the apron is mis-used.  For instance, some food handlers use it to rub hands, face and body that had dirts and sweat, rubbing plates and the most terrrible are rubbing XXX after visiting the toilet....

Apron 

1. should be wore in food premise, not wearing at home and carry to food premise.

2. should NOT be brought into toilet

3. should NOT be wore if food handler is not wearing cloth 

Without wearing cloth and apron, sweating can drop onto food and contaminating it...  

Credit: Sir Sazly Tulih (Facebook user)

MeSTI, GMP & HACCP logo

Did you notice that some of the product packets you saw on the hypermarket are printed with the above logos?

Yes, they are HACCP, GMP & MeSTI logos.  These terms are the Food Safety Assurance certification issued by Malaysia Ministry of Health.  Food processors can owns this certification on their products by establishing Food Safety Assurance program in accordance to 1983 Food Act, 1985 Food Regulations and 2009 Food Hygiene Regulations.        

Lets be a smart consumer before purchasing food.  Check the food labels to know if the products are certified with MeSTI, GMP or HACCP.

If you are food processor, if you wish to know about the certifications, kindly contact me. Thank you.

Credit : Food Safety & Quality Division, Ministry of Health

Food premise's surrounding Cleanliness

The cleanliness and safety of Food premise's Surrounding is important in preparing food. 

The Hygiene aspect of food handling includes Food handlers, Raw Food, Equipment, and the cleanliness of kitchen surrounding or the food preparing place.  When the Food premise's surrounding is not in order, it can contribute cross contamination and would become a cause of food poisoning.

Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Labuan Federal Territory Health Department

Premise Inspection

The followings are common non-conformances that Health Department found in restaurant.  let us study together and be alert about it -

1. There is no pest (Cockroaches, Flies and mouse) controls scheduled in the premise.  Pest can spread disease via food and resulting food poisoning to human being. 

2. The equipment  /tools are not in good condition or rusty.  Towel and chopping board are not clean.  The dirty and broken equipment or tool could be a root cause of bacteria growth and pest. 

3. In freeze storing, Raw food is kept too close in one another and touching the opened container.  Cross contamination could happen from raw food to cooked food, even though it is put in freezer.  

4. Stagnant water in kitchen where the water could be splashed onto food, when food handler is walking or preparing food.  This result the food is contaminated.

Hence, do remember to keep your premise clean always, as the officer could inspect ANYTIME...

         

Credit: Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Health Department, Food Safety & Quality Division

Thphoid

“Oh, Poor Thyphoid Mary!”

Mary Mallon was an Irish immigrant who migrated to the United States as a teenager in the 1880s. She worked as a cook for wealthy families in New York, and within two weeks of her first employment, residents of the house where she worked started to develop the symptoms of typhoid.

She changed jobs several times, moving from household to household, leaving typhoid in her wake wherever she went.

Although she appeared to be in perfect health, a public health investigation identified Mary as the first person in the United States to be an asymptomatic carrier of Salmonella Typhi – the bacteria that causes typhoid.

It is estimated that 1-6% of people infected with S. Typhi become chronic, asymptomatic carriers like Mary. The bacteria preferred hides out in human bloodstream and intestines, causing no illness to the host but enabling the bacteria to replicate and shed through their feces.

In Mary’s case, this was especially problematic because of her role as a cook. Even though she felt fine, her feces was full of highly contagious typhoid bacteria. Like everyone, she got small, invisible amounts of feces on her hands when she used the restroom.

She then used her hands to make food, spreading the bacteria as an unwanted ingredient into the food and mouths of the families for whom she cooked.

Because the high temperatures of hot foods likely would have killed the bacteria, doctors linked her disease-spreading ability to one of Mary’s most popular dessert dishes: ice cream with raw peaches that she cut by hand.

Typhoid Mary’s story is a tragic one, not only because people suffered and died, but because the solution was so simple. Mary should have washed her hands. Now we know enough to understand the importance of handwashing, preventable food- and water-borne infections, including typhoid.

Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Labuan Federal Territory Health Department.

Food Handling

Before we are handling food, do make sure the followings - 

1. Short nails - If our nails are long, please cut them as long nails can trap dirts and bacteria.

2. Not wearing accessories - No rings, watch, ear rings as we can't noticed if they are fall on food.  Besides, the accessories coul deasily trap dirts and bacteria.

3. No make up - Make up and perfume are chemicals that could contaminating food while handling food.

Also, food handlers should also wearing correct attire and avoid bad practices such as coughing and sneezing on food, smoking, touching food with bare hands etc etc. 

      

Picture credit to Sir Sazly Tulih (Facebook user) 

Trust MyCatering

Are you Catering Entrepreneurs?

Food Safety & Quality Division of Ministry of Health is launching Trust myCatering certification.  This certification is to help Food Catering entrepreneurs to increase Food Safety level and the trust of the public against their food and to avoid Food poisoning 

Should you interested, kindly refer to the link. 

Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Ministry of Health 

Ice Handling - Avoid CrossContamination

Imagine you / your crew come out from toilet, not wash hand probably, not applying hand soap and not dry the hands thoroughly. You / your crew grab the ice scoop in the ice container, take the ice and put into water glass.  Do you think it is hygiene?

Now, let's fill up the followings

Bacteria from toilet .............. Bacteria stick at fingers / hands ............ bacteria stick at ice scoop ............ bacteria transfer to ice ......... ice.........



Credit: Food Safety & Quality Division, Labuan Federal Territory Health Department

Contaminated Chicken

Ever read news about food poisoning as stated above? Food handlers should aware about the food hygiene and safety measures while preparing food.   

While receiving raw chicken, make sure the supplier's place is clean and the raw chicken is handled properly.  When failing to do so, the dirty surroundings contains active bacteria (germs) than potentially producing toxin on the raw chicken, resulting the chicken discolour and odour.    

If the raw chicken is put on the floor or simply being kept besides zinc for 3-4 hours before cleaning, it would be risky of food poisoning even after cooking. Thus, food handlers shouldn't buy or receive raw chicken that had deteriorated as it i hazardous.  

The received chicken should be washed as soon as possible and be cooked as the meat is perishable.  If there is a need to keep in the fridge, it should be kept -18oC in an enclosed container.  If there is electrical failure and the chicken is soften, cook the chicken as soon as possible to avoid the chicken is deteriorated.    

Credit: Ministry of Health

November 19 classes

7 Nov @ Chong Qing Cafe, Tawau 

12 Nov @ Dewan Sri Asnur, Tawau

17Nov @ Restoran Humaerah, Tawau

22Nov @ MC Bakery, Bukit Garam

23Nov @ Haiky Borneo Sdn Bhd, Sandakan

25Nov @ Comfort Aged Care Group PLT, Kota Kinabalu