Foodborne disease has been associated with microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites. Most commonly, the outbreaks take place due to the ingestion of pathogenic bacteria like Salmonella Typhi, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholera, Campylobacter jejuni, and Listeria monocytogenes. The disease usually happens as a result of toxin secretion of the microorganisms in the intestinal tract of the infected person. Usually, the level of hygiene in the food premises reflect the quality of the food item, hence restaurant or stall with poor sanitary condition is said to be the contributor to food poisoning outbreak. In Malaysia, food poisoning cases are not rare because the hot and humid climate of this country is very suitable for the growth of the foodborne bacteria. The government is also implementing strict rules to ensure workers and owners of food premises prioritize the cleanliness of their working area. Training programme for food handlers can also help them to implement hygiene as a routine in a daily basis. A lot of studies have been done to reduce foodborne diseases. The results can give information about the types of microorganisms, and other components that affect their growth. The result is crucial to determine how the spread of foodborne bacteria can be controlled safely and the outbreak can be reduced.
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The two articles pertaining to foodborne infections published in this issue of the Medical Journal of Malaysia [MJM] serve as a timely reminder of the importance of foodborne diseases l ,2, Foodborne
This paper reviews the trend and possible contributing factors that cause the incidence of foodborne illnesses as it is the major concern of food safety issues in Malaysia. Surveillance and monitoring done by the enforcement authorities have improved the food safety as the percentage of contravened samples and food premises closures have been decreased. Some factors that contribute to the emergence of the foodborne pathogens are cross contamination of foods and food handlers, eating behaviour and technology, globalisation, antimicrobial resistance bacteria and climate change. Main problems that contribute to the high rates of foodborne illnesses are poor practices of food handlers and lack of public awareness. Various interventions have been initiated by the Food Safety and Quality Division, Ministry of Health [MoH] to improve national food safety system through food handlers training programme, the establishment of Food Safety Information System of Malaysia [FOSIM] and Malaysia Foodborne Disease Network [MyFoodNet] as parts of strengthening the surveillance system and improving the effective enforcement of legislation and regulations. Continous collaboration between government and private sectors are crucial for a sustainable improvement for a better health of the nation.
This paper reviews foodborne diseases occurring in Malaysia and the strategies taken by the Malaysian government. Half of the foodborne related diseases from the early 1990s until today were associated with outbreaks in institutions and schools, mostly due to unhygienic food handling procedures. Outbreak surveillance and monitoring, training and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point [HACCP] implementation at food service establishments all play a vital role to prevent and/or reduce foodborne diseases. Some of the key agencies from the Malaysian Ministry of Health, academia, industries and research institutions continue to strengthen their collaboration and networking in order to coordinate the prevention and control of foodborne diseases and thus improve public health. Developments to date have shown improvement in surveillance and monitoring. In Malaysia, the main contributing factor to foodborne diseases was identified as insanitary food handling procedures which accounted for more than 50% of the poisoning episodes. Food handlers play a major role in the prevention of food poisoning during food preparation; hence, food handler training is seen as one of the main strategies to increase food safety practices. There are 125 accredited food handlers’ training institutes as of September 2010. The application of knowledge and skills from training into the workplace is important and reasons for limitations of training initiatives are discussed.
What is the issue of foodborne disease in Malaysia?
In Malaysia, food poisoning is a longstanding public health issue, with an incidence rate of 44.18/100,000 population in 2010, 50.42/100,000 population in 2014 and 47.2/100,000 population in 2016, and a mortality rate of 0.041/100,000 population in 2016 [MOH 2016].
What is the food poisoning rate in Malaysia?
According to a report by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, the national incidence rate of food poisoning was 62.5 per 100,000 population in 2008, and it had gradually decreased over the years to 45.7 per 100,000 population in 2018 [MOH, 2019].
What are the big 7 critical foodborne illness?
However, the CDC estimates that about 90% of all foodborne illness in this country is caused by the following seven [7] pathogens: Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfrigens, Campylobacter, Listeria, E. coli 0157:H7 and Toxoplasma.
What are the top 5 most common foodborne illnesses?
Norovirus..
Salmonella [non-typhoidal].
Clostridium perfringens..
Campylobacter..
Staphylococcus aureus..