Nearly 100 Cases of Food Poisoning in Malaysia From Spoiled Eggs in Pudding
In the city of Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia, there have been 99 food poisoning cases as a result of the consumption of ‘puding buih’ which contained eggs that were two weeks past their expiration date. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), refrigerated raw eggs in the shell are safe to eat for up to 3 to 5 weeks. After investigation, the State Local Government, Housing, Health and Environment Committee Chairman, Dr Alias Razak, said that the supplier of the spoiled pudding is a private, small-scale food trader, operating out of his or her own home, like many others who are trying to make an income during this time.
The spoiled ‘puding buih’ was consumed on or around May 22, 2020, by those who reported adverse effects from it. The pudding affected around 20 families and even caused some of them to seek medical attention from nearby public and private hospitals. Most of the people affected by the pudding reported experiencing mild symptoms like stomach aches and diarrhea. However, one person was admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU), but was declared stable shortly after.
Dr Alias Razak reported on Sunday, May 31, 2020,“the Terengganu State Department of Health has taken action by shutting down the kitchen used by the puding buih trader for 14 days until June 7, in accordance with Section 18 (1) (d) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988,“.
Alias explains that there are many cases like this because of the amount of people who operate from their homes and sell the products online without a business license, and consequently, without standard operating safety regulations.
The Department of Health has been asked to provide and enforce standard operating procedures (SOPs) for home-based food providers, in order to protect their ability to generate income from their homes, while still maintaining consumer safety.
