Inculcating culture of food safety among children

RECENTLY, a Form Five student and a two-year-old girl died after eating food that was prepared for an event held in a school in Gombak. It was reported that 82 others who attended the event were treated for food poisoning.

Failure to adhere to food safety regulations has led to an increase in reported food poisoning cases, especially in school settings, in Malaysia. Data from the Health Ministry showed an annual incidence of 50.90 per 100,000 population and a mortality rate of 0.03 per 100,000 population in 2019.

A primary concern in food safety management is the prevalence of food-borne infections, with the salmonella bacteria that causes diarrhoea, fever and stomach pains being a leading cause worldwide.

These pathogens often contaminate animal-derived foods like eggs, poultry, meat and dairy products.

Children with compromised immune systems are more susceptible to food poisoning. This vulnerability is exacerbated by inadequate food safety and hygiene practices as well as unsafe eating habits prevalent among children in school settings.

Despite the availability of guidelines, including the Education Ministry’s School Canteen Guidelines Handbook (2004), canteen operators, school children, teachers and staff may still have limited awareness of proper hygiene, handling practices, and food safety protocols to reduce their risk of becoming sick from foodborne illnesses.

It is the responsibility of the food handler to ensure that the food provided in schools are safe and that they observe hygienic practices at all times in order to prevent food poisoning incidents.

School administrators must also be responsible for ensuring that the food served in their canteens are not only safe but also nutritious.

Effective communication among food handlers is paramount in upholding food safety standards. In this case, training that emphasise the importance of food safety must be provided to the canteen operators and staff who handle food.

The problematic and unhygienic food handling behaviours among school children must also be addressed. This requires tailored instructional strategies, considering the varying ages and maturity levels of the children.

Inculcating a robust food safety culture during the school years will foster lifelong habits that will reduce their risks to foodborne diseases in later life.

DR SALINI DEVI RAJENDRAN

School of Food Studies and Gastronomy

Taylor’s University