Here's to safer food for all
TODAY is World Food Safety Day, and its theme 'Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected' encourages everyone – from home cooks to big food factories – to stay alert, clean and ready because food safety isn't just a government thing. It's an everyone, everywhere, every day kind of mission.
The Health Ministry, through its Food Safety and Quality Division, and using laws like the Food Act 1983 and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, inspects restaurants, tests food samples and monitors imports.
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The Star
14 hours ago
- The Star
Keeping illness off our plates
Safety first: A food service worker wearing a cap, mask, and gloves at a restaurant in Petaling Jaya. — ART CHEN/The Star PETALING JAYA: With an average of 1.6 million people worldwide falling ill every day due to foodborne diseases, the need to focus on food safety has grown more important this World Food Safety Day. According to the World Health Organisation's World Food Safety Day report, at least 600 million people also fall ill annually from consuming contaminated food, with the cost to treat victims estimated at US$15bil (RM63.4bil). ParkCity Medical Centre Dietetics and Food Services unit head Ng Kar Foo said that weather and humidity play a role. 'Managing factors that allow germs to grow are key to food safety,' he said, adding that to prevent contamination, food also needs to be covered properly. He also backed Singapore's guidelines on food safety where cooked food should not be kept at room temperature for more than four hours. 'Those foods should be discarded after four hours. The four hours start from the time that the food is ready from the stove,' he added. Amid growing concerns, Malaysian eateries are also stepping up efforts to prioritise hygiene and food safety ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM 2026). Petaling Jaya Coffeeshop Association president Keu Kok Meng said its association members adhere to a check list of hygiene practices that prioritise food safety. This includes ensuring all their workers get the mandatory typhoid vaccination once every three years along with taking a food handling course. 'All stalls are also regulated to ensure cooked and uncooked food is stored separately at all times with the containers fully labelled so we know when a batch is cooked or prepped. 'We also mandate that all our members have pest control services visit eateries monthly to check for any rat or cockroach infestation. 'Despite our efforts, rodent infestation is still a frequent problem due to all the uncovered drains near eateries, and I hope the local councils can help to cover them,' he said, adding that staff are also instructed to clean their eatery toilets every few hours each day. He said that they were also hoping to encourage their members to reintroduce mandatory face masks for workers to further reduce chances of contamination of food. Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said all restaurants under the association similarly adhere to strict hygiene protocols to ensure customers' health. 'Cleanliness is not only about hygiene – it's also about upholding trust. Our patrons, whether locals or tourists, must feel confident that the food they consume is safe and prepared under the highest standards,' he said. Jawahar said some of the hygiene protocols include the use of separate ladles and utensils for each dish to avoid cross-contamination, especially between vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. 'We also ensure that all restaurants have a weekly deep cleaning of kitchen equipment, exhaust hoods, storage areas and drains. 'Staff must wash their hands frequently and use gloves or utensils when handling ready-to-eat food,' he said. He added that Presma was looking to enhance its hygiene efforts ahead of VM2026, such as introducing the adoption of a voluntary hygiene grading system and eco-friendly and sanitary kitchen practices. 'This will be a crucial time to showcase Malaysia's hospitality and food plays a central role in that experience, so ensuring our restaurants are clean, safe and welcoming will enhance tourists' confidence and encourage repeat visits. 'Our aim is to position Malaysian eateries as models of cleanliness and quality as we prepare to welcome the world in 2026,' he added.
The Star
15 hours ago
- The Star
Here's to safer food for all
TODAY is World Food Safety Day, and its theme 'Food Safety: Prepare for the Unexpected' encourages everyone – from home cooks to big food factories – to stay alert, clean and ready because food safety isn't just a government thing. It's an everyone, everywhere, every day kind of mission. The Health Ministry, through its Food Safety and Quality Division, and using laws like the Food Act 1983 and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, inspects restaurants, tests food samples and monitors imports.
Malaysian Reserve
18 hours ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Wild About Sprouts® Celebrates World Food Safety Day with Breakthrough Cold-Grown® Technology That Redefines Safety and Nutrition
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., June 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — In honor of World Food Safety Day June 7, Wild About Sprouts® is shining a spotlight on its revolutionary Cold-Grown® process—an all-natural, patented innovation that has redefined food safety standards in the sprouting industry. With over 25 million containers sold pathogen-free and never part of any recall over its 8+ years, Wild About Sprouts is the only national sprout brand in the U.S., now proudly available in over 7,000 grocery stores across the country. Sprouts are among the most powerful, studied, and nutrient-dense superfoods on the planet. Yet for decades, their potential has been limited by persistent food safety concerns. Wild About Sprouts has solved that problem. Its Cold-Grown® process eliminates the risk of dangerous pathogens without the use of pesticides, herbicides, or chemical intervention, and uses 95% less water than traditional growing systems—making it one of the most sustainable solutions in fresh food today. 'At Wild About Sprouts, food safety isn't a feature—it's the foundation,' said Barry Didato, CEO of Rä Foods, parent company of Wild About Sprouts. 'Our patented Cold-Grown® method is changing the way America eats—combining breakthrough safety with unmatched nutrition, delivering sprouts that contain up to 100 times more antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals than fully grown vegetables. Backed by over 2,000 studies, sprouts—especially broccoli sprouts—are rich in sulforaphane, a proven compound that supports the body's natural detox pathways, helps fight cancer, reduces inflammation, and shows promise in managing conditions like autism, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disease.' Observed every year on June 7, World Food Safety Day highlights the importance of safe, accessible food for all. Wild About Sprouts is proud to lead this charge—proving that innovation can make clean, nutrient-packed, fresh foods not just possible, but scalable. 'Wild About Sprouts has not only innovated with its Cold-Grown® technology—they've demonstrated an uncompromising commitment to public health,' said Dr. Darin Detwiler, Food Safety Advocate, Professor and Author of Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions. 'In an era when consumers demand both transparency and accountability, this company offers a clear model of how science and responsibility can align to create safer, more sustainable food systems. As we recognize World Food Safety Day, this kind of leadership is precisely what our food system needs to move from reaction to prevention.' Whether tossed in a salad, layered on a sandwich, or blended into smoothies, Wild About Sprouts products offer an easy and delicious way to boost everyday nutrition—safely. For more information, visit or follow us on Instagram at @wild_about_sprouts. Wild About Sprouts is available at major retailers including Kroger, Walmart, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Market, Albertsons, and many more. About Wild About Sprouts®Founded in 2016 and based in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wild About Sprouts is transforming the sprout industry with its science-backed, Cold-Grown® technology. As part of Rä Foods, a family office dedicated to better-for-you innovations, Wild About Sprouts is on a mission to deliver safe, delicious, nutrient-dense foods that Make America Healthy Again—one sprout at a time.
