PETALING JAYA: Get vegetables from trusted sellers and be wary of stalls selling cheap greens that could be from illegal markets, says a consumer group.
Buyers should also look out for food safety labels like MyOrganic or GAP (Malaysian Good Agricultural Practices) certification as a way to ensure product safety, said Federation of Malaysian Consumers Associations (Fomca) chief executive officer Saravanan Thambirajah.
For consumers who are concerned about pesticide residue, he said washing vegetables thoroughly under running water, scrubbing with a brush or soaking them in a baking soda solution (at one teaspoon per litre of water) for 15 minutes can be of help.
“Peeling vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers can further reduce pesticide intake.
“Choose organic produce where possible as it is a safer alternative, since it involves minimal pesticide use,” he said in an interview yesterday.
Saravanan said the issue of illegal vegetable farms operated by foreign nationals is a growing concern.
“These farms pose significant food safety risks as they operate outside regulatory oversight.
“There’s no assurance of safe agricultural practices, including pesticide use.
“This could lead to worries about excessive pesticide residues, environmental harm and unfair competition with licensed local farmers,” he said.
Saravanan said illegal farms also contribute to environmental issues such as deforestation, soil erosion and water pollution due to unchecked chemical use.
“These operations undermine licensed farmers who follow regulations and pay licensing fees,” he added.
He called for stringent enforcement to curb these activities and monitor markets and supply chains to prevent unregulated produce from reaching consumers.
Enforcement should be intensified, he said, on top of improving public awareness about food safety risks linked to illegal farms.
“Consumers must remain vigilant, make informed choices and adopt safe food-handling practices to protect their health,” he said.Saravanan said consumers can reduce risk by buying vegetables from established supermarkets, licensed wet markets or farms certified under MyGAP.
“Consumers should be cautious when purchasing from unregulated roadside stalls, especially if prices seem unusually low.”
Pan Malaysia Koo Soo Restaurants and Chefs Association vice-president Chan Kam said most Chinese restaurant operators get their supply of fresh produce from trusted suppliers and sellers.
“They would have been with us for some time. We don’t simply change suppliers unless we have to, as we want to ensure the quality and availability of ingredients,” he said.
However, Chan acknowledged that it would be hard to tell where these suppliers source the produce from.
The association’s secretary-general Datuk Ringo Kaw concurred, saying it was out of their hands as to where their suppliers obtain the fresh produce.
“We will have to ask them. We usually order from our preferred pasar borong (wholesalers’ market), which will do the delivery,” he said, adding that he hoped the authorities would weed out illegal farms to ensure food safety.