He stressed the importance of cleanliness in the state and highlighted the expectations of tourists who come to Penang for food.

Chow said there may be thousands of food outlets in Penang but there should not be even one case of a complaint on the issue of hygiene reported to authorities.

“Let us not affect the confidence of tourists who visit our food establishments,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Forward Road Relay 2024 event held at Beach Street this morning.

According to Chow, the state health department and respective district health offices regularly monitored food establishments to ensure they adhered to all hygiene requirements.

“There have been many cases of unsatisfactory conditions detected and these establishments were ordered to close for cleaning work to be carried out,” he said.

He added that such action must be taken as warning to food operators to always maintain and uphold the image of Penang as a premier food destination.

With tourism being an important economic sector for Penang, Chow said enhancing its profile as a food destination with the right promotions will enable most outlets to enjoy better business overall.

“Therefore, we need to work together as a team. It is important that there is cooperation between food operators, the government, and associations to keep Penang as a top food destination,” he said.

Three food outlets in Tanjung Bungah were ordered to close for 14 days after inspection officers found rat droppings on their premises on last Friday.