KOTA BHARU, Jan 5 – Although the tradition was passed down from generation to generation, the proprietor of Nasi Sumatera Haji Ismail, has decided to ditch the metals nails that were used to secure (like toothpicks) his famous nasi paku packets for rubber bands instead
The decision was taken due to the safety issues flagged by the Ministry of Health (MOH) which said that nails, staples and similar items that are dangerous shouldn’t be used in food packaging.
Restaurant helper, Mohammad Faizol Ramli, 27, said the change was done on Jan 1, adding: “My employer, Syahir Ismail, stopped using nails as soon as he found out (it was a violation of the law) and switched to using rubber bands.”
He said it wasn’t a problem for the 29-year-old owner to comply for safety’s sake, although it was the method used for over 10 years.
“Aside from being safer for customers, it has helped to save money because a box of nails costs almost RM80, while a packet of rubber bands is just RM8,” he told Bernama today.
He personally thinks using rubber bands is better because it reduces the risk of getting pricked by nails.
“So far customers have not queried the switch because they know about the MOH warning. It has not affected anything except our trademark,” said Mohammad Faizol.
Local hospital doctor and customer, Anisa Ahmad, 38, said: “Stopping the trend of using nails, which is supposedly popular in the east coast, is the right step because it is dangerous to children, especially.”
Health director-general, Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, said on Tuesday that a seller convicted under Regulation 36 of the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 could face a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a maximum jail term of two years or both.
He added that they may face a heavier penalty if a foreign object is found in the food.
