Displaying publications 1 - 20 of 79 in total

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  1. Philip A
    Japan Med Assoc J, 2015 Dec;58(4):180-4.
    PMID: 27081606
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  2. Henriksson PJG, Rico A, Troell M, Klinger DH, Buschmann AH, Saksida S, et al.
    Sustain Sci, 2018;13(4):1105-1120.
    PMID: 30147798 DOI: 10.1007/s11625-017-0511-8
    Global seafood provides almost 20% of all animal protein in diets, and aquaculture is, despite weakening trends, the fastest growing food sector worldwide. Recent increases in production have largely been achieved through intensification of existing farming systems, resulting in higher risks of disease outbreaks. This has led to increased use of antimicrobials (AMs) and consequent antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in many farming sectors, which may compromise the treatment of bacterial infections in the aquaculture species itself and increase the risks of AMR in humans through zoonotic diseases or through the transfer of AMR genes to human bacteria. Multiple stakeholders have, as a result, criticized the aquaculture industry, resulting in consequent regulations in some countries. AM use in aquaculture differs from that in livestock farming due to aquaculture's greater diversity of species and farming systems, alternative means of AM application, and less consolidated farming practices in many regions. This, together with less research on AM use in aquaculture in general, suggests that large data gaps persist with regards to its overall use, breakdowns by species and system, and how AMs become distributed in, and impact on, the overall social-ecological systems in which they are embedded. This paper identifies the main factors (and challenges) behind application rates, which enables discussion of mitigation pathways. From a set of identified key mechanisms for AM usage, six proximate factors are identified: vulnerability to bacterial disease, AM access, disease diagnostic capacity, AMR, target markets and food safety regulations, and certification. Building upon these can enable local governments to reduce AM use through farmer training, spatial planning, assistance with disease identification, and stricter regulations. National governments and international organizations could, in turn, assist with disease-free juveniles and vaccines, enforce rigid monitoring of the quantity and quality of AMs used by farmers and the AM residues in the farmed species and in the environment, and promote measures to reduce potential human health risks associated with AMR.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  3. Sukirman AN, Khalex HB, Mustafa S, Sarbini SR, Hassan S, S-Hussain SS, et al.
    J Food Prot, 2020 Oct 01;83(10):1764-1774.
    PMID: 32463874 DOI: 10.4315/JFP-19-543
    ABSTRACT: Umai is a popular, traditional, native dish of the Melanau ethnic group in Sarawak. It is prepared using thin slices of raw marine fish marinated with calamansi juice and seasoned with other ingredients. The local people believe that the acidity of the citrus juice, along with the use of salt and spice, can slightly cook the fish and remove the fishy smell. The aim of this study was to investigate (i) the different umai handling and preparation practices and (ii) the personal experience of umai consumption among respondents. A purposive sample of 100 umai makers, divided into two equal groups, professionals and nonprofessionals, participated in the study. We found that Spanish mackerel and hairfin anchovy were ranked first and second in the list of species chosen for making umai, with the former mostly preferred by the professional group, as opposed to the latter, which was preferred by the nonprofessional group. Black pomfret was ranked third, where it is equally preferred by both groups. About 20% of respondents would freeze the raw fish chunks prior to preparing umai, as opposed to 26% who would sun dry their fish. Other techniques, such as salting and marinating (using calamansi juice), were also used during the preparation of umai. Most of the respondents indicated that they would consider the umai ready to eat soon after marinating (with all ingredients) the raw fish. One-third of both respondent groups indicated that they would chill the umai dish at 4°C for 30 min before serving. The respondents could not provide any rationale behind these food preparation practices. Overall, this study provides evidence of the different preparation methods for umai. These practices can thus be considered important targets for public health education campaigns seeking to improve food safety surrounding this food group.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  4. Jagadeesan B, Gerner-Smidt P, Allard MW, Leuillet S, Winkler A, Xiao Y, et al.
    Food Microbiol, 2019 Jun;79:96-115.
    PMID: 30621881 DOI: 10.1016/j.fm.2018.11.005
    Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) combined with powerful bioinformatic approaches are revolutionising food microbiology. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) of single isolates allows the most detailed comparison possible hitherto of individual strains. The two principle approaches for strain discrimination, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis and genomic multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) are showing concordant results for phylogenetic clustering and are complementary to each other. Metabarcoding and metagenomics, applied to total DNA isolated from either food materials or the production environment, allows the identification of complete microbial populations. Metagenomics identifies the entire gene content and when coupled to transcriptomics or proteomics, allows the identification of functional capacity and biochemical activity of microbial populations. The focus of this review is on the recent use and future potential of NGS in food microbiology and on current challenges. Guidance is provided for new users, such as public health departments and the food industry, on the implementation of NGS and how to critically interpret results and place them in a broader context. The review aims to promote the broader application of NGS technologies within the food industry as well as highlight knowledge gaps and novel applications of NGS with the aim of driving future research and increasing food safety outputs from its wider use.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  5. Zaid, K., Jamal, H.H.
    MyJurnal
    Background: A cross sectional study was carried out to determine the prevalence of microbiological contamination in ready- to-eat food and factors affecting it in Melaka from February 2008 till May 2008 in collaboration with the Food Safety and Quality Unit and District Health Offices in Melaka Tengah, Alor Gajah and Jasin.

    Methods: A purposive sampling of 101 food premises was carried out and 202 ready- to-eat food samples were collected and analysed microbiologically using standard methods. A total of 202 food handlers were randomly selected for questionnaire interview while rectal and nasal swabs were taken from them to determine their healthy carrier status of pathogenic food bacteria.

    Results: Results showed that the overall prevalence of microbiological contamination in ready- to-eat food was 35.1%, while prevalence by type of food was 42.0% for main dishes and 9.8% for staple food. The majority of the contaminations were due to coliforms (14.9%), total plate counts (12.4%) and Staphylococcus aureus (3.5%). The mean score for food premise inspection was 77.21 ± 10.32 and the prevalence of healthy carrier status of pathogenic food bacteria among the food handlers was 15.8%. The level of food handling practices among food handlers was influenced by sex (p=0.012) and formal training on food handling courses (p=0.009). There was a significant negative correlation between age and level of food handling practices among the food handlers (r = -0.163; p = 0.02). Poor food handling practices (p=0.02) and poor hygiene status among the food handlers (p
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  6. Sheikh-Ali SI, Ahmad A, Mohd-Setapar SH, Zakaria ZA, Abdul-Talib N, Khamis AK, et al.
    J Microbiol, 2014 Oct;52(10):807-18.
    PMID: 25269603 DOI: 10.1007/s12275-014-4294-7
    The contamination of food and feed by Aspergillus has become a global issue with a significant worldwide economic impact. The growth of Aspergillus is unfavourable to the development of food and feed industries, where the problems happen mostly due to the presence of mycotoxins, which is a toxic metabolite secreted by most Aspergillus groups. Moreover, fungi can produce spores that cause diseases, such as allergies and asthma, especially to human beings. High temperature, high moisture, retarded crops, and poor food storage conditions encourage the growth of mold, as well as the development of mycotoxins. A variety of chemical, biological, and physical strategies have been developed to control the production of mycotoxins. A biological approach, using a mixed culture comprised of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus rhamnosus resulted in the inhibition of the growth of fungi when inoculated into fermented food. The results reveal that the mixed culture has a higher potential (37.08%) to inhibit the growth of Aspergillus flavus (producer of Aflatoxin) compared to either single culture, L. rhamnosus NRRL B-442 and S. cerevisiae, which inhibit the growth by 63.07% and 64.24%, respectively.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  7. Tirmizi, L.I.T., Brand, H., Son, R., New, C.Y.
    Food Research, 2018;2(3):247-257.
    MyJurnal
    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), globally 600 million people suffer
    from food-borne diseases (FBD), and 420,000 people die as a result. The European Food
    Safety Authority (EFSA) has stated that FBD are linked to the food industry, with the
    most common means of transmission being due to poor food handling and hygiene by
    food handlers working in the food industry. The aim of this research was to investigate the
    effectiveness of mandatory food handler training programmes (FHTP) to prevent FBD in
    Malaysia and Ireland. To do this, the FHTP existing in Malaysia and Ireland were
    analysed, in addition to the legislation they fall under in each respective country.
    Effectiveness was determined by investigating the level of food safety knowledge (FSK)
    and food safety practices (FSP) of food handlers in Malaysia and Ireland. A systematic
    literature review (SLR) and a narrative literature review (NLR) were conducted for this
    research. The SLR was based on the PRISMA diagram, using the Confidence in the
    Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (CERQual) approach to evaluate the
    studies used for this research. A total of 8 Malaysian studies and 1 Irish study were used to
    determine the level of FSK and FSP of food handlers in each respective country, to
    examine the effectiveness of FHTP. The results of the studies used for this research have
    depicted overall good FSP and FSK of food handlers in Malaysia and Ireland; yet trends
    continue to show that food handlers are one of the biggest contributors to FBD,
    demonstrating that FHTP are not effective in preventing FBD. The findings from this
    research highlights that although these trainings can be an effective tool to prevent FBD, if
    they are not executed correctly, food handlers will continue to contribute to FBD.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  8. Nik Rosmawati N, Wan Manan W, Noor Izani N, Nik Nurain N, Razlina A
    Sains Malaysiana, 2018;47:2119-2128.
    This study aims to assess the effectiveness of a newly developed food safety education to improve the handwashing
    practices of food handlers in school canteens. A community-based intervention study was carried out over a 2-year period.
    Sixteen out of 98 primary schools were randomly selected and assigned into intervention and control groups using a
    simple random sampling method. The study population included food handlers who worked in the canteens of the school
    selected. The Food Safety Education Programme (FSEP) for the intervention group was developed based on the theory of
    planned behaviour. The main outcome measures used were handwashing practices from the observations carried out at
    baseline, 6-weeks (Post1) and 12-weeks (Post2) after the intervention. Out of 79 food handlers who participated in this
    study, 33 (41.8%) were in the intervention group and 46 (58.2%) were in the control group. Prior to FSEP, handwashing
    was not commonly practiced following critical events and the majority did not perform correctly. The time-effect of the
    mixed design analysis of variance showed a significant increase (p=0.004) in the mean percentage of the total observed
    handwashing practices from 29% at the baseline to 50.8% at Post1 (p=0.004). However, the intervention-effect of mixed
    design ANOVA did not show any significant difference in the handwashing practices (p=0.210). The FSEP was effective in
    improving the handwashing practices of the food handlers in the selected primary school canteens.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  9. Mwungu CM, Shikuku KM, Atibo C, Mwongera C
    Data Brief, 2019 Apr;23:103818.
    PMID: 31372462 DOI: 10.1016/j.dib.2019.103818
    Climate change, degradation of natural resources, conflict or civil war, diseases and poverty are among the key threats that impact agriculture, human nutrition, food security and food safety among rural households in developing countries. Sustainability of food systems and livelihoods will thus crucially depend on not only the ability to accommodate or recover from these threats but also to tap into opportunities for strengthening long-term capabilities. One approach to enhancing resilience to enhance food security and nutrition is building an evidence base to better understand the various types of smallholders, threats to agriculture production and the associated risks to food security and nutrition and household food preferences. Unfortunately, such data in many African countries is still unavailable or has not been shared publicly. In this paper, we describe data that were collected in Nwoya district, Northern Uganda in December 2017. These data can be used to assess the relationship between resilience of farm households to climatic risks and their food and nutrition security.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  10. Soon JM, Wahab IRA, Hamdan RH, Jamaludin MH
    PLoS One, 2020;15(7):e0235870.
    PMID: 32639978 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235870
    Factors contributing to foodborne illnesses in Malaysia were identified as insanitary food handling procedures and lack of hygiene in food preparation area. Food safety at home is a critical point as consumers represent the final step in food preparation and prevention of foodborne diseases. This study aims to investigate the food safety knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices among consumers in Malaysia. An online survey was conducted, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and exploratory factor analysis. A model linking food safety knowledge and attitude and their direct effects on practices were confirmed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The proposed model fulfilled the goodness of fit indices and is deemed acceptable. Respondents demonstrate good level of food safety knowledge and positive attitudes and self-reported practices. Food safety knowledge has a negative and insignificant relationship with food safety practices (β1 = -0.284, p>0.05) while attitude significantly affects food safety practices (β1 = 0.534, p<0.05). The findings clearly indicate that food safety knowledge does not directly affect food safety practices This is also the first study to provide new empirical findings on thermometer usage among consumers in Malaysia. This study establishes an important point of reference where consumers use visual appearances to determine if food is thoroughly cooked and practice washing raw chicken prior to cooking. Food safety practices at home play a critical role in protecting consumers in reducing risks of foodborne illnesses.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  11. Nurmahani, M.M., Azizah, A.H., Azizah, O., Ghazali, F.M., Mohd Sabri, P.D.
    MyJurnal
    Food-borne diseases have always been a major concern to the consumers, food safety authorities and food industries. Hylocereus spp or Pitaya peels are normally treated as wastes and will be discarded during processing. In this study, the antibacterial activity of ethanol, chloroform and hexane extracts from Hylocereus polyrhizus (red flesh pitaya) and Hylocereus undatus (white flesh pitaya) peels against nine pathogens was evaluated using disc diffusion method and broth micro-dilution method. Result from disc diffusion method showed that chloroform extracts from H. polyrhizus and H. undatus peel were found to exhibit good antibacterial activity where almost all the pathogens studied were successfully inhibited. Result of the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) showed that all extracts inhibit the growth of bacteria in the range of 1.25-10.00 mg/mL for all bacteria while their minimum bacteriacidal concentrations (MBC) indicated double of the MICs concentration except for B. cereus, L. monocytogenes and C. jejuni. Even though there is no clear trend indicating which bacteria were sensitive most to the extract, it can be concluded that chloroform extract of both H. polyrhizusand H. undatus peel showed the most potent antibacterial activity. Thus, these findings could be used further to understand the antibacterial property of the peel of pitaya fruits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  12. Ibrahim AH, Khan MS, Al-Rawi SS, Ahamed MB, Majid AS, Al-Suede FS, et al.
    Regul Toxicol Pharmacol, 2016 Nov;81:457-467.
    PMID: 27756558 DOI: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2016.10.004
    Fermented Virgin Coconut Oil (FVCO) is widely used in the Southeast Asia as food and traditional medicine. The objective of the present study is the evaluation of chronic safety of the commercialized FVCO of Malaysia and other Southeast Asian countries. A single dose of 5000 mg/kg of FVCO was administered orally in rats (each group, n = 5) for the acute toxicity study and 175, 550 and 2000 mg/kg for sub-chronic and chronic studies (each group, n = 10), respectively. The behavior, mortality, and body weight of the rats were assessed to determine the toxic effects of FVCO. The haematology, biochemistry and histopathology of the treated rats were evaluated. The treated rats were safe with the dose of 5000 mg/kg in acute, sub-chronic and chronic indication. Abnormal clinical signs and morphology (gross necroscopy), changes of organ weight, anomalous haematology and biochemistry indexes were not found in comparison with the control (p > 0.05). In general, food and water intake were higher in the treated rats related to control. It was concluded that the presence of the antioxidant active compounds of FVCO might be the reason of safety. The structure activity relationship (SAR) provides a comprehensive mechanism to determine the safety that is the presence of the electron donating phenolic groups, carbonyl groups, and carboxylic acid in the ortho and meta position of the aromatic rings. The SAR showed the antioxidant properties of myristic acid and lauric acid determined by GC-MS analysis. This result suggests the safety of FVCO for chronic use, nutritional activity that FVCO formulation complies the requirements of regulatory agencies.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  13. Shadan AF, Mahat NA, Wan Ibrahim WA, Ariffin Z, Ismail D
    J Forensic Sci, 2018 Jan;63(1):80-85.
    PMID: 28383137 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13512
    As consumption of stingless bee honey has been gaining popularity in many countries including Malaysia, ability to identify accurately its geographical origin proves pertinent for investigating fraudulent activities for consumer protection. Because a chemical signature can be location-specific, multi-element distribution patterns may prove useful for provenancing such product. Using the inductively coupled-plasma optical emission spectrometer as well as principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the distributions of multi-elements in stingless bee honey collected at four different geographical locations (North, West, East, and South) in Johor, Malaysia, were investigated. While cross-validation using PCA demonstrated 87.0% correct classification rate, the same was improved (96.2%) with the use of LDA, indicating that discrimination was possible for the different geographical regions. Therefore, utilization of multi-element analysis coupled with chemometrics techniques for assigning the provenance of stingless bee honeys for forensic applications is supported.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  14. Mir SA, Siddiqui MW, Dar BN, Shah MA, Wani MH, Roohinejad S, et al.
    J Appl Microbiol, 2020 Sep;129(3):474-485.
    PMID: 31800143 DOI: 10.1111/jam.14541
    Consumers' demand is increasing for safe foods without impairing the phytochemical and sensory quality. In turn, it has increased research interest in the exploration of innovative food processing technologies. Cold plasma technology is getting popularity now days owing to its high efficacy in decontamination of microbes in fruit and fruit-based products. As a on-thermal approach, plasma processing maintains the quality of fruits and minimizes the thermal effects on nutritional properties. Cold plasma is also exploited for inactivating enzymes and degrading pesticides as both are directly related with quality loss and presently are most important concerns in fresh produce industry. The present review covers the influence of cold plasma technology on reducing microbial risks and enhancing the quality attributes in fruits.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  15. Lee YY, Tang TK, Phuah ET, Tan CP, Wang Y, Li Y, et al.
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2020;60(15):2509-2525.
    PMID: 31418288 DOI: 10.1080/10408398.2019.1650001
    Diacylglycerol (DAG) is a world leading anti-obesity functional cooking oil synthesized via structural modification of conventional fats and oils. DAG exits in three stereoisomers namely sn-1,2-DAG, sn-1,3-DAG, and sn-2,3-DAG. DAG particularly sn-1,3-DAG demonstrated to have the potential in suppressing body fat accumulation and lowering postprandial serum triacylglycerol, cholesterol and glucose level. DAG also showed to improve bone health. This is attributed to DAG structure itself that caused it to absorb and digest via different metabolic pathway than conventional fats and oils. With its purported health benefits, many studies attempt to enzymatically or chemically synthesis DAG through various routes. DAG has also received wide attention as low calorie fat substitute and has been incorporated into various food matrixes. Despite being claimed as healthy cooking oil the safety of DAG still remained uncertain. DAG was banned from sale as it was found to contain probable carcinogen glycidol fatty acid esters. The article aims to provide a comprehensive and latest review of DAG emphasizing on its structure and properties, safety and regulation, process developments, metabolism and beneficial health attributes as well as its applications in the food industry.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety*
  16. Noorlis, A., Ghazali, F.M., Cheah, Y.K., Tuan Zainazor, T.C., Ponniah, J., Tunung, R., et al.
    MyJurnal
    Little is known on the biosafety level of Vibrio spp. in freshwater fish in Malaysia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and concentration of Vibrio spp. and V. parahaemolyticus in
    freshwater fish using the Most Probable Number-Polymerase Chain Reaction (MPN-PCR) method. The study was conducted on 150 samples from two types of freshwater fish commonly sold at hypermarkets, i.e. Pangasius hypophthalmus (catfish) and Oreochromis sp. (red tilapia). Sampling was done on the flesh, intestinal tract and gills of each fish. The prevalence of Vibrio spp. and V. parahaemolyticus was found to be 98.67% and 24% respectively with higher percentages detected in samples from the gills followed by the intestinal tract and flesh. Vibrio spp. was detected in almost all red tilapia and catfish samples. V. parahaemolyticus was detected in 25% of the catfish samples compared to 22.6% of red tilapia fish. The density of Vibrio spp. and V. parahaemolyticus in the samples ranged from 0 to 1.1x107 MPN/g. Although the maximum value was 1.1x107 MPN/g, most samples had microbial loads ranging from 0 to >104 MPN/g. The outcome on the biosafety assessment of Vibrio spp. and V. parahaemolyticus in freshwater fish indicates another potential source of food safety issues to consumers.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  17. Mahat NA, Meor Ahmad Z, Abdul Wahab R
    Trop Biomed, 2015 Sep;32(3):471-7.
    PMID: 26695207 MyJurnal
    Consumption of iced beverages is common in Malaysia although specific research focusing on its safety parameters such as presence of faecal coliforms and heavy metal elements remains scarce. A study conducted in Kelantan indicated that faecal coliforms were detected in the majority of the ice cube samples analyzed, largely attributable to improper handling. Hence, it was found pertinent to conduct similar study in other parts of the country such as Johor Bahru if the similar pattern prevailed. Therefore, this present cross sectional study which randomly sampled ice cubes from 30 permanent food outlets in Taman Universiti, Johor Bahru for detecting contamination by faecal coliforms and selected heavy metal elements (lead, copper, manganese and zinc) acquires significance. Faecal coliforms were detected in 11 (36.67%) of the samples, ranging between 1 CFU/100 mL to > 50 CFU/100 mL; two of the samples were grossly contaminated (>50 CFU/100 mL). Interestingly, while positive detection of lead was observed in 29 of the 30 ice cube samples (mean: 0.511±0.105 ppm; range: 0.489-0.674 ppm), copper, manganese and zinc were not detected. In addition, analysis on commercially bottled mineral water as well as in tap water samples did not detect such contaminations. Therefore, it appears that (1) contamination of faecal coliforms in ice cubes in food outlets in Malaysia may not be sporadic in pattern but rather prevalent and (2) the source of water used for manufacturing the ice cubes that contained significant amount of lead would suggest that (3) it was neither originated from the treated tap water supply nor bottled mineral water or (4) perhaps contaminated during manufacturing process. Further studies exploring the source of water used for manufacturing these ice cubes as well as the handling process among food operators deserve consideration.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  18. Zhang Y, Zhou L, Zhang C, Show PL, Du A, Fu J, et al.
    Carbohydr Polym, 2020 Nov 01;247:116670.
    PMID: 32829798 DOI: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2020.116670
    With the growing interest in food safety and in environmental protection, it is more attractive to develop novel biodegradable packaging films. In this regard, one new blending film was prepared with curdlan (CD)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/thyme essential oil. Our results demonstrated that the mechanical properties of the blending film were the best when the ratio of the CD and PVA was 4:1. Further, the barrier properties of the film were optimized by incorporating with thyme essential oil. It was proved that not only water vapor permeability was lower, but also the elongation at break was improved, when 2% (w/w) thyme essential oil used. The potential interactions of the film matrix were analyzed by FTIR, XRD and Cryo-scanning electron microscopy. Importantly, both the antioxidant activity and antibacterial activity were improved. Finally, the blending film was employed for the preservation of chilled meat, while the shelf life was extended up to 10 days.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  19. Yazid SNE, Jinap S, Ismail SI, Magan N, Samsudin NIP
    Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf, 2020 03;19(2):643-669.
    PMID: 33325175 DOI: 10.1111/1541-4337.12541
    In this review, we present the current information on development and applications of biological control against phytopathogenic organisms as well as mycotoxigenic fungi in Malaysia as part of the integrated pest management (IPM) programs in a collective effort to achieve food security. Although the biological control of phytopathogenic organisms of economically important crops is well established and widely practiced in Malaysia with considerable success, the same cannot be said for mycotoxigenic fungi. This is surprising because the year round hot and humid Malaysian tropical climate is very conducive for the colonization of mycotoxigenic fungi and the potential contamination with mycotoxins. This suggests that less focus has been made on the control of mycotoxigenic species in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium, and Penicillium in Malaysia, despite the food security and health implications of exposure to the mycotoxins produced by these species. At present, there is limited research in Malaysia related to biological control of the key mycotoxins, especially aflatoxins, Fusarium-related mycotoxins, and ochratoxin A, in key food and feed chains. The expected threats of climate change, its impacts on both plant physiology and the proliferation of mycotoxigenic fungi, and the contamination of food and feed commodities with mycotoxins, including the discovery of masked mycotoxins, will pose significant new global challenges that will impact on mycotoxin management strategies in food and feed crops worldwide. Future research, especially in Malaysia, should urgently focus on these challenges to develop IPM strategies that include biological control for minimizing mycotoxins in economically important food and feed chains for the benefit of ensuring food safety and food security under climate change scenarios.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
  20. Odeyemi, Olumide Adedokun
    Int J Public Health Res, 2013;3(1):214-222.
    MyJurnal
    Influx of foreign students in Malaysia calls for a study on safety of food in Malaysia restaurants as perceived by them. This study aims to investigate perception of foreign students regarding food safety and personal hygiene practice of food handlers in Malaysia restaurants. A six sections Likert scale questionnaire was used. A total of 350 questionnaires were distributed during this study between March 2011 and March 2012 to the international students from 26 countries of the world in various public and private institutions of higher learning in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Among the distributed questionnaires, only 155 were correctly filled, retrieved and analyzed. Ninety-one respondents (59%) were male while 63 (41%) were females. A total of 107 (69%) were undergraduates and 29 (19%) were postgraduate students. One hundred and thirty-nine (90%) respondents were local or foreign restaurants. Eleven respondents (7%) did not patronize any of the restaurants. Among factors influencing choice of restaurants are closeness to residence, price of food and quality of food were the most important factors 62 (38%). Twenty-seven (28%) eat in restaurants because of the similarity of the food to that of their home country. Of the most preferred food, Nasi ayam, 89 (57%) top the list, next was Nasi goreng ayam, 14 (14%) and African food, 23 (15%). Nasi lemak was the least food preferred 3 (2%). A total of 104 (67%) respondents were of the opinion that handlers kept short nails, 91 (59%) do not pick nose, 108 (55%) stated that food handlers cough or sneeze while handling food. Ninety-eight respondents (64%) also stated that serving of food with unprotected hands were observed. The result of this study showed that although food handlers are aware of the need for personal hygiene, more awareness needs to be created.
    Matched MeSH terms: Food Safety
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