PUTRAJAYA: A video clip of a noodle stall at a Ramadan bazaar which went viral after a customer allegedly spotted worms in the dish has been ordered to close temporarily starting Friday, says Health Director-General Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
The order was issued under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983 as the stall was found to be dirty.
Dr Noor Hisham said the two-week closure was to enable cleaning works to be carried out as well as to improve the level of food safety before the stall is allowed to reopen.
Apart from that, a compound notice was also issued against one of the workers who had not received his anti-typhoid shot, according to Bernama.
Prior to this, a video of a customer claiming that she found worms in noodles with cuttlefish which she bought for RM30 at the Putrajaya Ramadan bazaar went viral on social media.
On April 14, the Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) issued a warning notice under Section 30(1)(c) of the Licensing of Hawkers (Federal Territory of Putrajaya) By-Laws 2016 to the trader involved.
Dr Noor Hisham said the stall operator also runs an eatery in Cyberjaya where raw ingredients are stored and cooked before being taken to the bazaar, adding that the Health Ministry would conduct an inspection to obtain further information on food safety at the premises.
On the alleged discovery of a clump of hair in a batch of kuih limas sold in Teluk Intan, he said the ministry had opened an investigation paper on the food producer under the Food Act 1983.
On Thursday, Perak Health, Science, Environment and Technology Committee chairman Mohd Akmal Kamarudin said that a sample of the kuih limas was sent for analysis.
Meanwhile, Dr Noor Hisham said a total of 4,362 Ramadan bazaar stalls have been inspected so far, and 77 compound notices totalling RM38,500 were issued, while 178 food samples were collected for analysis.
He advised the public to buy food only from clean premises.
Dr Noor Hisham also warned that any trader who fails to comply with the requirements of the Food Act 1983 and its regulations could be fined not more than RM100,000 or jailed for not more than 10 years, or both.