Illegal foo chuk factories fined RM3,500 each but production continues

GEORGE TOWN: Two illegal foo chuk (dried tofu sheets) factories in Tanjung Bungah here have been slapped with compound notices and fines for supplying unlicensed food products.

However, they are not shut down as this involves a land use issue under the purview of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP).

Both factories were inspected during a joint operation codenamed Ops Tegar led by the state Health Department and the Penang Island City Council (MBPP).

The state department's environmental health, food safety and quality officer Mohd Wazir Khalid said both factories were issued with a RM3,500 compound each.

"One of the factory owners was also issued with an additional compound of RM500 for failing to register his premises.

"Both factories were found to have supplied food products without licences and both did not maintain hygiene standards," he said during a press conference after the raid.

Wazir added that as both the factories were operating without a licence, they had been paying a RM250 compound to MBPP every month.

"Although the cleanliness of both factories are under par, we will not close them down.

The state Health Department and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) enforcement officers inspecting the dried beancurd sticks hanging at Tanjong Bungah, Penang. — CHAN BOON KAI/The Star

"This will be up to the MBPP as the factories are operating without a licence and this comes under its housing and licensing department.

"The land the factories are located on is supposed to be for housing, not industrial purposes.

"As such, it is not under our jurisdiction," he said.

During the operation, 12 officers from the state Health Department and eight officers from the council's Licensing Department also raided two other sundry shops along Magazine Road and Macalister Road.

Both shops were issued with compounds and one was ordered to close.

Wazir said the sundry shop along Magazine Road was issued with two compound notices totalling RM3,000 and ordered to close by the council.

"The shop was compounded for placing food on the floor and failing to provide expiry date labels for food products," he said.

He added that the shop was managed by a foreign worker although it was owned by and licensed to a local.

"This is an offence under the licensing department. The owner is supposed to be at the premises during operating hours," he said, adding that the shop was in a very dirty condition.

"We found rats, animal faeces and food being stored unhygienically," he said.

The other shop along Macalister Road, which also placed food products on the floor, was similarly issued with a RM2,500 compound.