Imagine finding out your local grocery store has gone viral online for storing their fresh produce… in the restroom.
Unfortunately, that’s what happened to a group of people who live in Malacca.
A TikTok posted by KPDN Melaka, the state’s branch for Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living, sees officers conducting a spot check on a neighbourhood grocery store.
They pointed out several problems with the store owner’s business practices, including the “inaccurate and confusing” labelling of products.
Lobak Putih, which is Malay for radish, was spelled ‘Lobag Puthe’, Timun, Malay for cucumber, was spelled ‘Temon’, and Limau, or Lime, was spelled ‘Lemau’.
Lmao indeed.
According to the officers, such labels are required to be spelled clearly so consumers can understand what they’re actually buying.
The officers and store owner then moved to the back of the shop, where fish are stored in styrofoam boxes. As you might have already guessed, the fish were labelled incorrectly as well.
The camera then pans to a dirty-looking restroom, where fresh vegetables are kept in plastic crates on the floor. Not gonna lie, we almost gagged when we spotted a few stalks of long beans coming thisclose to touching the ground.
“The toilet is not the place to store things like this, you don’t care about the people eating it. Would you want to eat this yourself?” questioned the officer.
He also chastised the store owner for putting out expired items on shelves for sale.
The store owner ultimately received a warning, and was sternly advised to adhere to regulations and maintain good food hygiene practices.
The video sparked a discussion amongst Malaysian netizens, many of whom were disgusted to find out about the shop’s practices.
“No need to ask anymore questions, just seize and close the shop,” wrote one angry netizen.
Another complained: “Shop owners have been warned so many times, but they still don’t understand [the severity of it].”
A number also shared about similar bad practices they’ve witnessed at their local grocery shops, with some asking the KPDN to crack down on these issues in their respective states as well.
Some have also requested for the KPDN to conduct checks on restaurants, claiming that certain establishments sell food without stating the prices of dishes up front. “If they show the prices, at least we as the customer can budget ourselves accordingly,” they wrote.
One can only hope that this incident serves as a warning to other store owners to adhere to food safety regulations… and stop storing food in toilets.