EVALUATION OF THE SAFETY OF DOMESTIC FOOD PREPARATION IN MALAYSIA

Food-handling practices were studied in 119 and 158 households, respec tively, in an urban and a rural community in Peninsular Malaysia. Haza rd analyses, including microbiological analysis of foods, were carried out in two households in each community and in a house that prepared food for distribution in the urban area. Kitchen hygiene was generally acceptable, although rated ''poor'' in some instances in the rural ar ea. Food prepared for lunch was usually sufficient for dinner also, th e leftover items being stored at ambient temperature until required. I n the house that prepared food for distribution, breakfast was prepare d during the evening, stored at ambient temperature overnight, and reh eated before sale the next morning. There was a local preference for c ooking food at temperatures close to boiling point; this reduced the n umbers of vegetative cells but not those of spores. In some stored foo ds the populations of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and mesop hilic aerobic bacteria increased, the last-mentioned reaching spoilage levels. Reheating reduced the populations of proliferating bacteria i n most foods to acceptable levels but would not have destroyed heat-re sistant enterotoxins. Because of their importance in combating acute b acterial foodborne disease, the control of the temperature and time fa ctors during the cooking and storage of food should receive special at tention in education on health and food safety.