SHAH ALAM, Nov 7 — A spate of food poisoning cases reported after a government agency’s Family Day event at a Selangor theme park last month has been attributed to poor food safety standards, said the Selangor State Health Department (JKNS).
In a statement today, JKNS said its investigation revealed that the October 4 incident was due to contaminated food from the theme park kitchen, which could have been caused by tainted ingredients and utensils, the preparation of large amounts of food by a limited number of cooks, food having been kept for a long time before serving, and cross contamination.
JKNS added that it received a notification of this incident on October 6 through the Petaling District Health Office, and it is taking this case seriously.
“Initial investigations and active case tracking by JKNS revealed that 322 people (6.8 per cent) out of the 4,710 attendees who were exposed to the food experienced diarrhoea, vomiting, and abdominal pains. Ninety-two per cent of the cases were adults, while the rest were children.”
The department said all patients have received treatment and none of them were warded or admitted to intensive care units, nor has there been deaths.
It added that the theme park kitchen has been closed for cleanup and sanitisation.
“We did not close the theme park as the cause of the food poisoning was not due to environmental factors. The kitchen at the theme park has been allowed to resume operations after it was confirmed to be clean and adherent to food safety rules,” the department said.
JKNS explained that it has engaged with the theme park’s management and organisers of the Family Day event to strengthen food hygiene practices. Notices were also issued to other district and state health agencies to assist in tracing and monitoring food poisoning cases from the event.
“JKNS would like to advise all food handlers to adhere to the Food Act 1983 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, and ensure food safety and hygiene practices are prioritised at every step of preparation.
“Food handlers must always keep themselves and their equipment clean, use fresh raw ingredients and clean water, ensure food is fully cooked before serving, and make sure food is consumed no more than four hours after it is cooked,” the department cautioned.
JKNS also reminded people to be careful when choosing eateries, “look, smell, and taste” before consuming any food, and get immediate treatment at healthcare facilities if they experience symptoms like diarrhoea, vomiting, or abdominal pains after eating purchased food.
