Audit report: Boarding schools supplied with expired food items

A total of 28 dry food items provided under the supply of cooked food (BMB) programme at 13 boarding schools were found to have no expiry date and those which have passed their ‘best before’ date of up to 427 days.

According to the Auditor-General’s Report 2018 Series 3, the physical audits conducted from Feb 21 to March 20, 2019, also found that food items in 30 boarding schools involved in the BMB programme were without the halal logo recognised by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department.

These findings were obtained from audits conducted at 42 boarding schools involving 71 contracts at daily hostels, government-aided religious schools, technical and vocational secondary schools as well as full residential schools in Sabah, Kelantan and Johor.

“The physical audits also found that 23 schools were supplied with 59 dry food items of other brands from those prescribed and without approval from the school administration, while the quality of food supplied to 19 schools failed to meet the specifications set,” said the report which was tabled today.

The report also said that, among other weaknesses detected were less than satisfactory quality of fresh produce with some schools were found to have stored the surplus frozen fish incorrectly, and weights of the materials being below the specifications agreed in the contract.

In addition, the level of cleanliness of the kitchen area in 12 schools was also found to be unsatisfactory.

All these matters were due to non-compliance with the terms of the contract under the BMB, coupled with less than satisfactory monitoring efforts at the Ministry of Education (MOE), state education department (JPN) and schools’ hostel supervisors’ levels.

This situation affects the quality and nutrition of food received by students in the hostel, the report said.

Therefore, to further enhance of the efficiency of BMB management, MOE was recommended to conduct regular monitoring of hostel management to be more efficient so that the quantity and quality of food to meet the specifications set, apart from emphasising good hygiene and safety practices among employees.

In addition, MOE, JPN and schools need to increase supervision and enforcement to ensure that the terms of the contract are fully complied with by the contractors and impose stern action against non-compliant contractors, it said.

- Bernama