Food is a big part of our daily lives. whether it’s morning nasi lemak, school canteen meals, or late-night leftovers.
According to Miwil, Sabah’s Health Director, Dr Maria Suleiman, issued a timely reminder saying that any cooked food left out for more than four hours should be thrown away. This may sound simple, but it carries a big message to alot of people. It speaks for our health, which has a time limit when it comes to food.
In Malaysia's tropical climate, bacteria thrive fast. Leaving food exposed for too long, even in a shaded kitchen, gives harmful microbes the chance to grow. This increases the risk of foodborne illnesses, especially for children, the elderly, and those with weaker immune systems. While many people are used to stretching their meals across the day, this new reminder asks us to rethink our habits.
It is particularly crucial to follow the “ four-hour rule” for homes, stall vendors, and school canteens vendor due to its food being prepared in huge quantities and stayed until it is sold out.
This initiative demand sellers to prepare in smaller quantities more often. It is required for families that better meal planning and proper food storage in containers is necessary to prevent the growth of bacteria.
At its core, this is about more than safety, it is also an awareness to the public. We often take food for granted, forgetting how easily it can turn from nourishment to danger. Sabah’s approach urges us to be more mindful of how we handle and store meals.
If this countdown becomes part of daily routine, it could reduce the number of food poisoning cases significantly. It’s not about fear. It’s about respecting time as part of food hygiene.
So the next time you’re about to reheat that plate sitting out for hours,
ask yourself: what does the clock say?
Lim Jiaxin (j21035423@student.newinti.edu.my) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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