'Journal of Food Safety\r'

'As we know, Johor was affected by the worst alluvial sediment in 100 years in December 2006 and that cataclysm comes again in January 2007. According to historical of the natural disasters much(prenominal) as overflow, diet in affected areas may work contaminate and consequently be at find for bybreaks of diet-borne diseases, including diarrhea, dysentery, cholera, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever. Poor sanitation, including lack of safe water and toilet facilities and lack of suitable conditions to prepare victuals have led to mass let onbreaks of aliment-borne diseases.\r\nThe Minister of Malaysia wellness were worried about cases, the improper sanitary facilities and contaminated water supply during flood at house areas or at relief centers would endpoint in contaminated aliment, as a prevention step, suspensor environmental Health Officers (AEHO) has assign to made monitor of fare hygienics vital. The objective of this monitoring is to observe victuals hygien e surveillance activities carried out in flood relief centers and flood affected areas and the result that were carried out was determined.\r\nThe forage hygiene surveillance activities were carried out by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO) in the districts and. Among the surveillance activities carried out are critique of regimen preparation areas in relief centers, inspection of pabulum premise in flood affected areas and nutrient sampling. Premise inspections were carried out employ a ad hoc inspection format. For food samples inspections, the food samples that were strain include ready to run down and raw foods. For ready to eat foods prop samples were also taken. Samples taken were sent to world Health Laboratory, Johor Bahru for microbiological analysis.\r\nAnti typhoid vaccination for food handlers were also carried out. Apart from that, observations made by the wellness teams were also taken into account. A total of 3,159 food preparation areas in relief centers were inspected. During the same period, a total of 2,317 food premises in flood affected areas were inspected as soon these premises started direct after the floods. Among the processes that had condition highlighting during inspection were holding and serving of food where temperatures control and holding measure were vital for food safety.\r\nAlong with the areas given emphasis during the inspection were kitchens, stores, food packaging areas, food point vehicles and serving areas. Cooking utensils, water sources, hand backwash facilities, garbage disposal area, pest control and suitableness of building structures for preparation of food were also given a big attention during the inspections. .Base on the inspection that have done by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO), the inspections denominateed that 69 food preparation areas in relief centers and 181 food premises in flood affected areas had unsatisfactory hygiene.\r\nNot only food premises areas are considering in those inspections, apart from that, the hygiene and workouts of all food handlers were also monitored. Insanitary food preparation areas in relief centers and food premises were given health education and warnings to maintain hygiene by the Assistant Environmental Health Officers (AEHO). A total of 1,566 holding samples were taken and 425 samples were sent to the lab for analysis.\r\nBase on the result, they have gathered out that 46 of the samples analyzed were found to be exacting for pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, staph aureus and salmonella. The health personnel from the Johor Health Department in various districts carried out an excellent job in ensuring food safety during the floods. There were no outbreaks of food poisoning. However analysis of food samples taken during the floods did show the presence of pathogenic organisms but probably their numbers game were not high enough to cause any(prenominal) food poisoning.\r\nWhen the flood has affected some areas, the taint from microorganism into food were easily contaminated, that contamination evict always occur at all points of the food chain, for instants inadequate washing, handling and cooking of food proficient before consumption is still a ground cause of food-borne diseases. Many infectious diseases are preventable by observing simple hygienic rules during food preparation whether in family settings or in monstrous food catering facilities.\r\nAccording to the guidelines provided by the land Health Organization (WHO), there are five dollar bill keys for safer food in disaster situation such as safekeeping clean, separating raw and cooked food, cooking thoroughly, keeping food at safe temperatures and lastly using safe water and raw materials. As a rational, the education to all individual(a)s have to concern more than to avoid the unwanted condition occurs, for instant when a disaster such as flood occurs, the popular would already understand and be pr epared to ease up their knowledge in hygiene and food safety.\r\nAs an example, the hand washing method which involves seven steps needs to be imbibed into all individuals through health education campaigns so that it becomes a common practice amongst all individuals. As a very substantially solution the promotion and enforcement of food hygiene requirements should be carried out continuously to ensure that every individual understands the need for hygiene and food safety during disaster situation such as flood.\r\n'