Food Poisoning In Malaysia

Here is some trivia about food poisoning in Malaysia.

Generally speaking Malaysia is a safe place to eat out and enjoy street food. Compared to some of its neighbouring countries food poisoning cases are relatively rare  but the hot and humid climate is conducive to the growth of food borne bacteria.

According to Ministry of Health statistics there was an incidence rate of 45.71 cases per 100,000 population in 2018 with a mortality rate of 0.02 per 100,000 but there were regional variations.

These rates fluctuate considerably from year to year as a serious food poisoning outbreak can distort the statistics for that year such as happened in 2018 when 42 people were poisoned and two died  from eating contaminated laksa from a stall in Kupang, Kedah.

As a general trend it would appear that Kelantan has the highest incidence of food poisoning whereas the Federal Territories including KL, where restaurants are much busier and food spends less time on display, the incidence rate is lower.

Unsanitary food premises and poor hygiene practices among food handlers are the main causes of food poisoning. 

School meals are one of the worst offenders for food poisoning in Malaysia.

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AUTHOR BIO

cartoon of author with an orangutan

David (the one on the left) is the writer behind Malaysia Traveller, sharing firsthand travel advice from over five decades of living and travelling across Asia and the Middle East. Based in Malaysia since 2009 and now in Kuching, he has published 700+ pages, personally visited every place he covers, and uses only his own photos. Readers can learn more on his About Me page. He also shares updates on Facebook and YouTube. He loves uncovering overlooked places even many Malaysians have never visited.