PETALING JAYA: Hypermarket Mydin today defended the disinfection process at its stores, a day after the health ministry said there is no proof that the use of equipment such as disinfection boxes and sanitising tunnels or chambers is an effective means of curbing the spread of Covid-19.
Managing director Ameer Ali Mydin said his chain uses a quaternary-based disinfectant solution which acts as first-level protection against cross-contamination using a clinically proven solution that is 100% alcohol-free and halal.
Adding that the solution is recognised by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration, he said it irritates neither the skin nor the eyes.
“It also provides longer lasting anti-microbial properties which the standard disinfection solutions currently available on the market do not have,” he said in a statement.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday that spraying an individual with chemicals for 30 seconds was not enough to effectively disinfect a person.
He also said the chemicals used in such equipment could be harmful to one’s eyes and mouth.
“From our assessment, there is no proof that these equipment are effective in reducing the spread of Covid-19,” he said in his daily briefing on the virus situation.
However, Ameer said such advice was based on the fact that numerous irresponsible parties were using disinfectant spray containing harmful chemicals, alcohol and chlorine.
“Even to the extent of some using dengue tablets in their solutions, which is harmful to the body,” he added.
He said Mydin uses disinfectants as a supplementary measure recommended by the World Health Organization.
“We enforce our own measures by implementing hand sanitisation and temperature checks before entry and practising social distancing while shopping,” he said, adding that key areas in stores were frequently sanitised as well. - FMT
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