Under current legislation, food handlers only have to undergo safety training once in their careers, except in unusual circumstances. The FSQD is seeking to amend this to require workers to go through training regularly. — Filepic/The Star
WE take for granted that the food we eat every day is safe and clean.
But do you know how the country’s food safety regulatory system works or what the regulatory agencies are doing to keep our food safe?
While there are many agencies in charge of various aspects of food safety in Malaysia, the main regulatory authority is the Food Safety and Quality Division (FSQD), which receives its mandate under the Food Act 1983 together with the relevant regulations.
Other regulations that also involve food safety are the Food Regulations 1985 and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009.
Norrani says FSQD inspected 63,000 food-related premises from last January to January this year, and 95% were declared safe and clean. — Photo provided
Back in 2022, the Health Ministry under then Health minister Khairy Jamaluddin had considered upgrading the FSQD into a food safety authority similar to the United States’ Food and Drug Administration. However, there have been no updates about this plan since then.
FSQD, which is under the Health Ministry, currently handles most things to do with food safety domestically and foods imported into the country.
They are in charge of certification and licensing, food standards, enforcement and surveillance, food safety promotion and laboratory services, and the International Food Safety Training Centres.
“We want to control food safety along the food supply chain from the primary producer to the end product to the consumer, and to have accountability from all stakeholders,” Norrani Eksan, FSQD’s senior director.
The other agencies involved in food safety are responsible for different areas: the Veterinary Services Department is in charge of livestock diseases while the Quarantine and Inspection Services Department has jurisdiction over food importation.
Norrani stresses that the different agencies work closely together to ensure the food safety regulatory system is running smoothly.
She points to the Food Safety Emergency Response Guidelines that they have adopted which are in line with recommendations from the World Health Organisation, and adds that food safety assessments involve every relevant agency.
They also have the Food Safety Information System which is a web-based interagency information system that assists the agencies with food safety surveillance.
The FSQD is also constantly trying to improve the system to make sure it is more stringent and more efficient. While the division used to focus on end-product sampling as part of its food safety monitoring activities, Norrani says it has since changed its method to a risk-based approach.
“Before this, we will take the end product sampling. But with the risk-based approach, we are focusing on finding the problem at the source.
“But we still carry out monitoring and taking samples for analysis to ensure everyone is compliant with the food regulations,” she says.
Norrani acknowledges that under the current legislation, food handlers only have to undergo food safety training once in their careers – but the division is seeking to change this.
“We are going to improve this where we are going to amend the regulations. We are considering that [requiring food handlers to undergo regular training],” she says.
So far, she says, the FSQD has trained over 3.6 million food handlers across 370 training centres across the nation since the requirements were legislated under the Food Hygiene Regulations in 2009.
The division also frequently inspects food premises, with about 63,000 premises inspected between January 2023 and January 2024.
Norrani says 95% of premises inspected were declared safe and clean while 2.3% (1,477) premises were ordered to shut down.
When it comes to public outreach and accessibility, the division aims to empower consumers by teaching them how to do basic food safety assessments through sight, smell and taste.
They are also organising an Apron Walk on July 20 in conjunction with World Food Safety Day, which fell on June 7, to raise awareness about food safety.
