Some in Malaysia are urging authorities to step up enforcement after the tragic deaths of an elderly couple who ate pufferfish. There are other food safety issues deserving of more attention as well, says health journalist Loh Foon Fong.
While Johor Fisheries Department director Zainudin Abdul Wahab told Malaysian media that pufferfish has no value and is, it has been seen sold in markets in parts of Sabah and Sarawak.
Gerai OA, an indigenous craft shop, recently said on Facebook that some living near the coastal areas including the Bajau Laut do consume pufferfish and that fresh pufferfish can occasionally be seen for sale at a tamu . He said that the Ministry of Health had produced materials to educate the public on food safety including the dangers of eating pufferfish.
“It's important to note that the consumption of these foods carries a high risk of tetrodotoxin poisoning and should be approached with caution,” she said.But Dr Mustafa Ali, professor in pharmacology and toxicology, told me that issues with naturally poisonous food tend to be few and isolated. “The greater danger is food with colourings and additives that are not meant for food and they are usually sold in rural areas where enforcement may not reach them,” he said.
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