The Halal certification is not just about the absence of pork and alcohol, but it also places importance on hygiene in food preparation.
An enforcement team from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN) recently conducted an enforcement operation against an Indian Muslim restaurant in Melaka, and found that the restaurant’s hygiene was shockingly underwhelming.
KPDN enforcement team reprimands an Indian Muslim restaurant in Melaka for unhygienic practices
Moreover, the owner was also found to be advertising Halal food to attract customers without applying for it.
The officer showed the restaurant’s hygiene problems during an inspection of the kitchen, including rat droppings in the area where they prepare roti canai.
“Why do you advertise yourself as Halal and then attract customers? Halal is not just about the source of the food, but also about whether the food preparation process is clean.”
The official later pointed out more mistakes made by the business owners, including the failure to properly store food and knives, and even the sambal was not stored properly, which made it very susceptible to pest contamination.
“Did you know that the price of the roti you offer also includes cleanliness? You’re not just offering roti, you’re offering clean food,” the officer said, as seen in a video posted on the Ministry’s Facebook post.
The officer then told the owner that he was wrong for luring customers in with ‘Halal’ food, which, in reality, was not safely and cleanly prepared. He also reminded him that as the owner, it is his responsibility to ensure the cleanliness of the premises.
Do share with us your experience of dining in at a place where the hygiene practice is not up to your standards.
