CONTAMINATED MUSSELS: MELAKA DOF TO CONTINUE MONITORING - EXCO

• Published date: 07 April 2024
• Author: NURSURAYA ZULKIFLI
• Publication title: Bernama: The Malaysian National News Agency (Malaysia)

State Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee chairman Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the sale of clams and mussels in Melaka was temporarily stopped from Friday, and he also issued a ban on collecting mussels or clams in the state waters

“During the ban, we have an incubation period, and the DOF will continue monitoring by conducting periodic tests within 20 days.

“Next week, the second and subsequent samples will be taken... if the safety level of the biotoxin reading is at the permitted level and confirmed as safe for consumption, or still contaminated, we will inform the public,” he told reporters, after officiating the state-level Semarak Syawal Agro MADANI Sales at Merlimau Farmers’ Market, here today.

However, he said that no cases of food poisoning related to the consumption of mussels and other bivalves have been reported in Melaka thus far.

Previously, the media reported that the state DOF has prohibited the public in Melaka from consuming bivalves until biotoxin readings reach permissible levels, and mussels are confirmed safe for consumption.

The DOF said that analysis conducted by its biosecurity laboratory on samples of mussels and water, collected from Sebatu, Melaka, revealed the presence of the Alexandrium...