We deserve safe eggs, too

 

POULTRY is an important source of meat proteins for Malaysians. Locally, the total sales value for chicken eggs and meat ex-farm is believed to be more than RM10bil annually.

On average, the annual per capita (person) consumption is 45kg of chicken meat and 370 eggs. This translates to a daily demand of about 30 million eggs a day.

The poultry industry is the most successful Malaysian livestock segment and has the highest output value with daily production averaging around two million birds (Asian Poultry Magazine, 2020).

The Malaysian production of 840 million chickens and 10 billion eggs per year is an industrial process that is highly automated. This means that the process is vulnerable to breakdowns that could affect the safety of the produce.

A broiler farm for chicken meat usually consists of broiler sheds, each accommodating up to 25,000 birds. It uses automated equipment for feeding and drinking lines, ventilation, temperature control, feed storage and distribution and lights and control systems.

Laying hens are usually raised in cages. Each farm consists of multiple sheds, and each shed usually accommodates between 20,000 and 60,000 birds. The automated equipment are cages, feeding and drinking lines, egg collection, lights, manure transport, feed storage and distribution, and ventilation and temperature control systems.

The industrial production of chickens is considered inhumane as the birds are generally reared in unnatural conditions.

Given this scenario, we can imagine the problems caused to the production process when disruptions either to the equipment or electricity supply occur.

In light of the second recall of eggs by the Singapore Food Agency (reported on March 19), which said it had detected the presence of Salmonella enteritidis (SE) in eggs imported from Malaysia, this time from a farm in Perak, the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) calls upon the authorities to conduct thorough investigations on all chicken farms in the country for salmonella contamination.

In a statement on March 14 after the first recall was announced for eggs from a farm in Jeram, Selangor, our Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) said it was looking into egg production processes, vaccination records and the farm’s disease surveillance programme to try and trace the source of the contamination.

To date, however, we have not heard of eggs in the Malaysian market being tested for SE or recalled due to the contamination.

The farms that produced the recalled eggs are giant players which cater for the export market.

But how about the numerous other farms that cater for the local market?

Our authorities are saying that SE can be destroyed by heat, thus the eggs would be safe for consumption if they are cooked thoroughly. If this is so, why are the eggs from the affected farms in Malaysia being rejected by the Singaporean authorities?

CAP hereby urges the authorities to:

> Investigate all poultry farms in the country to ensure that they comply with our food safety regulations;

> Look into the rearing methods, which could have contributed to the salmonella contamination; and

> Set up a committee to investigate any weaknesses in our monitoring system pertaining to food safety.

Recurring reports on unsafe Malaysian food products by overseas authorities clearly show that there are flaws in our food safety monitoring systems.

Malaysian consumers also deserve eggs that are free from contamination with pathogenic bacteria such as SE.

MOHIDEEN ABDUL KADER

President

Consumers Association of Penang

- Star