PASIR MAS: The food poisoning incident involving 427 students from a private higher education institution in Kota Bharu has been linked to an unlicensed caterer operating without registration under the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Kelantan Health Department director Datuk Dr Zaini Husin confirmed that the caterer was issued a seven-day closure notice starting July 9 under Section 18(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).
He stressed that all food businesses, including catering services, must register with MOH to ensure food safety.
“We found the caterer preparing meals for the college students was not registered with MOH and was operating from a private residence. A seven-day closure order has been issued,“ he said.
The outbreak is now under control, with no new cases reported. All hospitalised students have been discharged.
Initial investigations point to chicken curry as the possible cause, but lab tests are pending for confirmation.
The number of suspected food poisoning cases rose from 343 to 427 within a day.
In a separate update, Dr Zaini revealed that RM249,000 in compounds were issued from January to June this year under the Destruction of Disease-Bearing Insects Act 1975 (Act 154) for dengue prevention.
Additionally, 35 cases under the Control of Tobacco Product Regulations 2004 resulted in RM23,000 in fines, while 10 cases under the Food Act 1983 saw penalties exceeding RM30,000.
Under the Control of Smoking Products for Public Health Act 2024 (Act 852), 7,643 premises were inspected, leading to 5,953 offence notices and 7,744 educational advocacy sessions.
“Under the Food Act 1983 (Act 281), we inspected 4,999 food premises, and 39 were issued temporary closure orders under Section 11 to ensure hygiene and food safety,“ he added. – Bernama
