Certain people are trying to benefit from the increasing demands for food during Ramadan and Eid. The recurring cases are the sale of meat coming from unhealthy or dead cattle and poultry, as well as illegal mix of beef and ham, lamb and dog’s meat or meat of other animals not for human consumption.
Director of Halal Centre of the Faculty of Animal Sciences of UGM, Nanung Danar Dono, Ph.D, said during halal food processing workshop at the Faculty’s Auditorium on Thursday (30/6) that people force the cattle to drink excessively before slaughtering them in the attempt to get their body weight increasing, so more expensive to buy. Nanung said the food that is sold to society has to be thoyyib, or safe for human health. "Food becomes unsafe if contaminated," said Nanung.
According to Nanung, the importance of food safety for producers and consumers are because unsafe food can bring food-borne diseases. There are types of unsafe food, including non-food grade colouring (Rhodamin-B, Methyanil yellow), non-food grade sweeteners, and so on.
Dr. Nurliyani, M.S, food processing expert, expected everyone to serve good and safe food as this means they are also improving public health. For the lecturer in animal product technology, serving good and safe food is important to do, remembering that at UGM there had been 122 students and 7 staff suffering from hepatitis.
"The case happens because of food contamination due to poor hygiene. To prevent this from re-occurring, everyone’s effort is needed,” she said.
The Workshop is conducted to celebrate the 47th anniversary of the Faculty as well as to celebrate Ramadan this year. As many as 200 participants from food sellers at UGM and students joined the event.