GEORGE TOWN: Two famous nasi kandar outlets here have been compounded by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) for cross-contamination and improper handling of food.
During an operation by MBPP yesterday, both nasi kandar outlets along Jalan Gurdwara here were slapped with compounds totalling over RM200.
Deens Maju Nasi Kandar was issued two compounds for placing raw food materials on the floor and for improperly storing hard-boiled eggs, which could lead to cross-contamination.
The second premises, Nasi Kandar Clear, which stored their food mix in a freezer, was also compounded.
Both outlets were among six premises checked by MBPP officers yesterday. Of the six, three were ordered to close during the operations, while seven compounds totalling RM520 were issued to four of the six premises.
MBPP department environmental health officer, Bawani Murugasan, said the three premises were ordered to close as rat droppings, cockroaches or rodents were found.
“We found rat droppings at the premises in Macalister Road, while the other premises in Jalan Gurdwara was found to have live cockroaches and a dead rat. The third, a hawker centre, also in Jalan Gurdwara, was found to have poor hygiene and rat droppings.
“The three premises were ordered to close in accordance with MBPP by-laws under Section 38 (1) of the Food Establishment Act Bylaws 1991, ” she said during a press conference after the operation.
She added that spot checks will be ongoing throughout Penang island this year.
“This is our eighth spot check since we started our operations last November.
“We checked 28 premises so far, and closed down 21 premises. A total of 33 compounds worth RM2,500 were also issued. Now that we have conducted spot checks for a while, we can see a slight improvement in hygiene and cleanliness at some outlets, ” she added.
This article has been amended to reflect the names of the actual restaurants compounded.
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