Restaurant owners given a month to clean up premises

SEREMBAN, June 27 (Bernama) -- The Negeri Sembilan Health Department has given all restaurant owners in the state a month from today  to increase the level of cleanliness at  their respective premises.



State Health, Environment, Cooperatives and Consumerism Committee chairman S.Veerapan said that after that period, enforcement action would be carried out against restaurant owners if they fail to maintain cleanliness at their outlets.



Increasing the level of cleanliness of the premises, includes making improvements in terms of maintenance of the premises and improving personal hygiene of food handlers.



"I hope all restaurant owners comply with the set food safety regulations. Cleanliness of food premises is one of the issues that attract public attention, because food not handled in a hygienic manner can cause public health risk," he said.



From January until June 17 this year, the State Health Department had ordered 25 food premises in the state, found to be dirty, to close for two weeks.



"According to the latest record, there are 9,346 registered food premises in the state," he said.



The Department of Health and Local Authorities were always conducting checks to ensure that restaurant owners maintained the high standard of hygiene at their respective premises as the hygiene issue is of public interest and should be given priority, he told reporters here today.



-- BERNAMA