Hawkers at bazaars must improve cleanliness level

Maintenance and the quality of cleanliness of food sold at the Ramadan Bazaars around the federal capital must be improved to avoid issues on pollution and food poisoning from cropping up.

The Executive Director of Development and Socio-Economy of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), Datuk Ibrahim Yusoff said although awareness on maintaining cleanliness of the food had already existed among the hawkers, the number of contaminated food samples taken from the hawkers was still high.

"In the year 2015, out of the 1,005 food samples taken, 346 samples or 34.4 per cent were found to have failed to meet the food cleanliness standards while in the year 2016, 229 samples (38.8 per cent of the 590 food samples were also contaminated.

"Hawkers found to have contravened this standard will be issued with compound notices and blacklisted by the Licensing and Hawkers Department of DBKL besides being prevented to participate in any Ramadan Bazaar next year," he said in his speech at the 2017 Ramadan Bazaar Food Safety Program, here today.

Also present were DBKL Director of Health and Environment, Dr Norhayati Abdullah and Deputy Director of Health of the Food Safety and Quality at the Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Federal Territories, Sazali Harun.

-- BERNAMA