Use consumer power to ensure food products safe for consumption

Health Ministry Food Safety and Quality Division senior director Noraini Mohd Othman said consumers were also advised to read the label on the product before making any purchase.

“They should also practice the concept of carefully look, smell and taste before buying to avoid consuming foul or contaminated food,” she said in a statement here Saturday.

The statement was issued in response to the report in an English daily about a recent survey conducted at several hypermarkets which found that rotten fruits and vegetables, including tomato, banana, dragon fruit and ‘bok choy’, were being sold at lower price and not removed from the shelves, hence causing uneasiness and dissatisfaction among the consumers.

Under subsection 13(1) of the Food Act 1983, any person who prepares or sells any food that has in or upon it any substance which is poisonous, harmful or otherwise injurious to health commits an offence and shall be liable, on conviction, to a fine not exceeding RM100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding ten years or to both.

Consumers with enquiries on food safety issues can contact the nearest State Health Department or District Health Office or check out http://moh.spab.gov.my or www.facebook.com/bkkmhq for more information.