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.
It also deploys technology in the battle for safe food. This includes the myfoodtag app that lets users scan food products to check for allergens and nutrition info. There is also FOSIM: the Food Safety Information System of Malaysia is a digital system that tracks imported food to make sure nothing risky ends up in our supermarkets.
However, food safety cannot depend on rules alone. It needs structure, and that’s where standards come in. Think of standards like a recipe for doing things the right way.
One global favourite is ISO 22000, which helps food businesses big and small set up food safety management systems.
In Malaysia, we’ve got our own versions like MS 1480, based on the HACCP method (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), and MS 1514 based on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), which teaches food handlers basic hygiene dos and don’ts.
Even with all these systems, though, food safety hiccups still happen. Last year, dried seafood sold in some markets was found to contain illegal preservatives like formaldehyde. In schools, some children fell ill after eating improperly stored or undercooked canteen meals.
And there are always viral videos of filthy food stalls or restaurants with rats scurrying across kitchen floors. These real-life stories remind us that when standards are ignored, people get hurt. What can you do about it?
If you run a food business, make sure your kitchen is spotless and your team knows all the rules and standards. If you’re a parent packing school lunches, be mindful about freshness and cleanliness.
And if you’re a consumer eating out, trust your senses – if something smells off, looks suspicious or tastes strange, speak up. Report it.
To mark this important day, the Malaysian Association of Standards Users is inviting all Malaysians to take this food safety pledge: “I promise to keep food safe “To wash, cook, and store it right. I will care for what I eat, “And speak up when it’s not all right.”
Share it on social media, teach it to your kids, or just say it aloud before you start cooking.
At the end of the day, food safety is about trust – in our systems, in our sellers, and in each other. Here’s to safer food, better health, and a Malaysia that’s always ready, even for the unexpected.
