Health tip - eat within four hours
Penang health officials are warning consumers to consume prepared food within four hours to prevent food poisoning from Bacillus cereus and Salmonella. Several food vendors have recently been fined for selling contaminated ready-to-eat meals.
Why it matters
Proper food handling and storage are critical public health measures to prevent bacterial infections that cause severe gastrointestinal distress.
GEORGE TOWN: Bacillus cereus spores can survive cooking, and cooked food left for too long can allow the bacteria to multiply and cause food poisoning.
The bacterium is widely found in the environment, but the risk arises when cooked food is not properly stored, allowing the spores to germinate and the bacteria to multiply.
Some strains produce toxins that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
Penang Health Department director Dr Zulhizzam Abdullah (pic) said prepared food should ideally be eaten within four hours.
“We do not want people to keep leftovers for too long and still consume them,” he said during the Malaysian Society for Quality in Health 7th Edition Full Accreditation Award Ceremony for Loh Guan Lye Specialists Centre here yesterday.
He was commenting on a case involving spaghetti carbonara contaminated with Bacillus cereus.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in