Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Health Department is strengthening food safety awareness and hygiene standards at food establishments on Mount Kinabalu through its 2026 “Clean Peak, Safe Food” Expedition.
The three-day expedition, held from Sept 2 to 4, was led by Food Safety and Quality Division head Doreen Girik Anthony Gorotud and focused on improving food safety knowledge and practices among food handlers, mountain guides, porters and climbers.
The programme aimed to ensure food safety and hygiene requirements were maintained throughout the mountain trail, including at high-altitude food establishments.
Various educational and interactive activities were conducted during the expedition, including practical guidance for kitchen food handlers, briefing sessions, dissemination of food safety information and documentation of food safety practices throughout the ascent.
A key activity was the Food Safety Explorace, organised in conjunction with the 2026 World Food Safety Day campaign.
The interactive competition was held around Mount Kinabalu to deliver food safety and public health messages in a unique high-altitude setting.
The department also inspected food premises to assess their eligibility for the Clean and Safe (BeSS) recognition.
Sutera Sanctuary Lodge and Mountain Torq fulfilled all mandatory assessment criteria and were awarded the BeSS recognition.
The department commended both establishments for achieving the recognition and expressed hope that the award would encourage them to maintain high standards of hygiene and food safety for the health and safety of climbers and visitors.
The expedition was conducted in collaboration with Sabah Parks and Sutera Sanctuary Lodges, with the department stressing that cooperation among relevant stakeholders was important in safeguarding visitor health and food safety on Mount Kinabalu.
