UTAR Centre for Agricultural and Food Research (CAFR) of the Faculty of Science (FSc) successfully organised a two-day training titled “Food Safety Training: Principle and Certification” from 22 to 23 November 2023 at Kampar Campus.

Participated by more than 30 participants comprising chefs, food handlers, restaurant managers, healthcare providers, UTAR staff and students, the comprehensive training aimed to provide awareness of the importance of personal hygiene and good food handling practices. Organised for the second time, the training also aimed to highlight the correct steps of cleaning utensils and the proper steps of food waste disposal.

The training kick-started with a simple opening ceremony. It was graced by Pegawai Tadbir (Kesihatan Awam) Majlis Daerah Kampar Mr Mohd Izham bin Ahmad representing YDP Majlis Daerah Kampar Mr Ahmad Suqairy bin Alias. Also present at the opening ceremony were FSc Dean Assoc Prof Dr Lim Tuck Meng, Organising Chairperson and Head of Department of Agricultural and Food Science Dr Ali Yassoralipour, esteemed trainers, namely Mr Lam Ah Chye, Ms Lai Mun Lee and Ms Chee Boon Lee, and sponsors Mr Wong Hwee Jiau, Dr Charles Cheng Fang Chin and Ms Ng Siew Leng.

UTAR staff and students were also present during the opening ceremony.

In his opening remark, Dr Ali emphasised the importance of controlling the quality of food. He said, “It is important to ensure that consumers consume safe food products and are safeguarded from risks associated with contaminated foods. Therefore, I believe this training will bring vast knowledge to participants about effective food safety and quality control systems which are vital to safeguarding the health and well-being of people.” He concluded, “I hope the training will be an engaging platform for all to exchange and learn new knowledge from the esteemed speakers.”

On the other hand, Mr Mohd Izham said, “Controlling food quality is a critical aspect of ensuring food safety in any food service establishment. Food safety training should emphasise the importance of maintaining high-quality standards in all stages of food production, processing, and handling. I am very glad to see UTAR take the initiative to spread awareness among the local community about the importance of quality food handling and other aspects of handling food. I hope the participants can grab the techniques and approaches that the speakers are about to share for the duration of two days.”

He added, “Contaminated or poor-quality food can pose serious risks to public health. Foodborne illnesses can result from consuming food with harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, or toxins. Maintaining food quality is a fundamental responsibility to protect the health and safety of consumers. Additionally, proper training of food handlers is crucial for maintaining food quality. Employees should be educated on hygiene practices, proper food storage, and the importance of following standardised procedures. This training can empower employees to take an active role in upholding food quality standards.”

In conjunction with the food safety training, the opening ceremony also witnessed mock cheque presentations by esteemed sponsors, namely GoodMorning Global Sdn Bhd and STO SEA Sdn Bhd. The companies presented RM1,000 each to the UTAR Education Foundation.  

The two-day training covered a total of four topics and the talks covered various issues related to food safety. Among them was the Compliance of Food Hygiene Regulation 2009 which is important to ensure the production of safe foods for consumers; secondly, the pre-requisite programme, an umbrella term used to describe all activities, other than specific HACCP plans, that affect food hygiene, quality and safety. Thirdly, food factories that practice Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) are granted several benefits such as speedy obtainment of export certificates, easier recognition by financial agencies when dealing with incentive or financial assistance as well as the ability to compete with other countries in the global food market. Last but not least, MeSTI is the minimum food safety assurance programme that should be met by food manufacturing premises to help in controlling the processing operations.

The training ended with a closing ceremony and certificates were presented to all the participants. It was then followed by a factory visit to Bidor Kwong Heng Sdn Bhd.

The training was sponsored by the Platinum Sponsor, EcoLab International Sdn Bhd and Gold Sponsors GoodMorning Global Sdn Bhd and STO SEA Sdn Bhd.