TUMPAT: The Kelantan Health Department had issued 57 compound notices totalling RM6,400 against Ramadan bazaar traders across the state in the first week of fasting (April 3 to 9).

       Its director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin said the offences were committed by the traders under the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 such as not getting injections as food handlers, not attending the food handling course organised by the department and not wearing suitable attire as traders.

       "A total of 818 stalls and 1,692 food handlers statewide were inspected.

       "In addition, 65 samples of food were taken and sent to the Kelantan Food Safety and Quality Laboratory for microbiology analysis (30 samples) and chemical analysis (35 samples).”

       He said this to reporters after the launching of the state-level 2022 Ramadan bazaar 3-M culture (practising, selecting and implementing) campaign at Wakaf Bharu here Sunday (April 17).

       Dr Zaini said the department had formed 54 monitoring teams comprising 194 assistant environmental health officers and public health assistants to conduct inspections and enforcement on Ramadan bazaar traders.

       "For this year alone, 65 Ramadan bazaars were registered with the local authorities statewide involving 3,780 trading lots.

       "The campaign is to create awareness of the importance of cleanliness among visitors and traders at the Ramadan bazaars,” he said, adding that to date, no case of food poisoning had occurred in Kelantan. - Bernama