BUTTERWORTH: Rodent droppings and cockroaches were found all over a factory making steamed buns (pau) and other dim sum fare and has been shut down by authorities.

       Penang Health Department environmental health, food safety and quality officer Mohd Wazir Khalid said the factory had been operating illegally for about 10 years and ignored hygiene practices.

       The factory was operating from a house in Butterworth and the owner was slapped with compound notices amounting to RM2,700 for three safety and hygiene practice violations.

       He added that the factory would not have been granted a licence to operate within a residential area.

       "The enforcement team monitored the factory for about a month before taking action.

       "Rat droppings and cockroaches were found around the production and storage areas, while three dogs were allowed to roam freely in the food preparation area.

       "They supplied their goods to various businesses in Butterworth," he said at the factory on Wednesday (March 30).

       At the factory, trays of pau were stacked on the ground and left exposed, where the dogs could roam freely.

       Machines were covered in thick layers of dust and cobwebs and there was grime and dirt littering the factory.

       Earlier, the enforcement team inspected a fishball factory nearby and issued compound notices amounting to RM2,900.

       Many factory workers were seen preparing and handling the fishballs with bare hands.