As mentioned by my colleagues, our group 9 people were separated into 3 subgroups to follow the trip of the spot check operation. My group, Dennis Hung and me followed Mr. Dzullkifri ,PPKP under the unit of KKM ( Keselamatan dan Kualiti Makanan OR Food Hygiene and Quality control ) to witness how they do the operation.
Before the operation started, we are warned not to approach too near to the spot and cannot communicate with the owner of the shop.
The first victim was school canteen of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sik Dalam. We had some discussion with 2 Pegawai Kesihatan. One of them was Mr. Hassan. We witnessed how they check the hygiene at the surrounding area. Mr. Hassan told us that all of us should not miss the things under the table because most of the thing is hiden right there, moreover, vector, especially mouse, they like to 'habit' such kind of 'comfortable' environment.
When we reach to the school canteen, Mr.
Dzullkifri requested the owner to take her food premise licence and identity card. He filled in all the form required to write a assessment
report and comment about the particular food premise. If the food or environmental
hygiene within or at the surrounding area contains contamination that is suitable for the spreading of the vector
born disease. They will close the food premise. (Details explained subsequently)
Mr.
Dzullkifri opened his bag to take out the form to be filled in.
He was filling the form.
The school canteen
hygiene was satisfactory. However, Mr.
Hassan told us that the own keep the pet under the table. It should not to be done so because all animal are not allowed walk in and out in the food premise. They have warned the owner not to do so. Even though the food premise is not been punished under the food act, they will still give the health education to the owner, telling them the things should be
aware of, what should be cleaned and so forth to improve the food hygiene. They also explained to the owner on how the communicable disease could be
spread, especially the vector
born disease that was brought by the mouse. After that, they will stick the Food Premise Visiting card.
In the Food Premise Visiting Card, name of the premise,name of the owner and date of the operation would be written down. According to Mr. Hassan, they will do the operation to that area at least 3 times per year. Operation to be done is more frequent in the town.
Once finishing hand over a copy of the report to the premise owner, Mr. Hassan asked me to take the notice board (below) - iodine salt added to the water pipe system . It is not under Food Hygiene Control Unit, but it is very essential to highlight here. Due to the geographical area of Sik District, the citizens, especially in the rural area are hardly to get the seafood(rich of iodine). Therefore, there is high prevalence of hypothyroidism cases among the citizens in the Sik. However, due to iodine salt intervention programme, the incidence of the hypothyroidism is reducing annually. (discussed yesterday) The water pipe system was added with the iodine salt, so that all the citizens would beneficial to get sufficient iodine.
Food Premise Visiting Card
Next, we went the Padang Cichak. "Cicak" , in malay, literally mean lizard. I thought it was a lizard field. Haha...Before reached the next premise in the Padang Cichak, Mr. Dzukifri told us we would go to visit the 'old customer' in that area.
Mr. Hassan check the surrounding area, looked at the cupboard. He asked us to come nearer the cupboard and smell what are the smell produced in the above picture. Guess what? What we answered were wrong. It was the smell produced by mouse. OMG! Mouse PU (pass urine) in the cupboard!!!!
Without mercy, they immediately released the notice to close the food premise. In addition, the owner store the cooked bihun in the refrigerator. OMG! Suprisingly, there is still one person had teh O ice right there. Haha. According to Mr. Hassan, the Notice Food Premise Closing Order will be sticked in the food premise.(green color Form as shown in below) The owner should not tear it out. In order to re-open their shop, they have to clean all the shop within 14days. Within these 14 days, they cannot open their shop and do the business until second visit is done to confirm their premise is hygiene. However, if they clean it withn 3 days, they can call PPKP to re-check and permit them to open the shop. At the second visit, if they fulfil the requirement of cleaniness, the Notice would be tored. Business could be continued. , IF, the owner continues to open the shop within these 14days without taking action to clean the house and call PPKP for second visit , they would be courted under Food Act 1983. 'Compound' charged on them is around RM 3000-4000.
Even though the food premise are caught several times, according to Mr. Hassan, they will not stop their licence in running the business. In personal opinion, I think it is the weakness of the Food Act because people will not scare of the Act. As long as you clean it, you can re-open your shop no matter how many times you get caught!
Notice Food Premise Closing Order
Then, we continue our journey, we went to a village, there is a Siam Temper at the road side where there are lots of turtle statures along the temper. Mr. Dzullkifri told us that it is a turtle village. Dennis and Me thought he was joking with us. After a while, I saw the sightboard. It is written - Kampung Kura (Turtle Village). Here they released another Notice to close a Siamese shop because the food is contaminated.
Next, several shops were 'visited', no 'compound' was being done. Around 1230pm, we went back to Sik DHO. During the journey, Mr. Hassan told us that for each of the food premise owner, every 3 years, they should go to the Health Center to get vaccinated with antityphoid-vaccine. It will cost RM5.oo on them. The main idea is to prevent the spreading of salmonella typhi to the community if the food premise owner carries the disease. Besides that, all the food premise owner should not wear slipper in their shop. All of them who not yet attend the Food Campaign are advised to go. This campaign is mainly conveying the messenge to food premise owner in importance of self hygiene and environmental hygiene so that they could be educated to prepare more hygiene environment in their premise.
In the afternoon, again, we have our class with Mr. Dzullkifri. He gave us the lecture on Food Hygiene and Quality Control .
To be updated ....... tomorrow.....
larva were seen. After the sample collection, small amount of alcohol is added to it mainly to preserve the sample.
