Contaminated egg and corn jelly coupled with sambal belacan were the causes of food poisoning affecting 70 wives of Barisan Nasional (BN) elected representatives at an event in Kuala Terengganu on July 8.

Terengganu Health, Unity and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Dr A Rahman Mokhtar said this was the result of tests on 43 samples of food served at a luncheon at the event at the State Stadium.

“Weaknesses on correct food preparation also caused contamination of the food served to the wives of BN elected representatives,” he said when replying to Dr Alias Razak (PAS-Bukit Tunggal) at the state assembly in Kuala Terengganu today.

Seventy wives of BN elected representatives were down with diarrhoea and vomiting due to food poisoning while participating in the All-Malaysia Wives of BN Elected Representatives’ annual sports programme at the state stadium on July 8.

Eighteen of them were referred to the Sultanah Nur Zahirah Hospital, of which 15, who showed severe symptoms, had to be warded.

Dr A Rahman said among the weaknesses detected were food providers did not take care of personal hygiene, equipment used were not clean, and the food was prepared too early, causing them to be exposed to contamination.

- Bernama