120 Industry Leaders Gather in Penang to Put Food Safety at the Top of the Menu
Source: Penang Today, written by Paul Choong
Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, Shangri-La Golden Sands, and Jen Hotel Penang joined hands with the Penang State Food Safety Ministry to host the Food Safety Symposium 2026, marking both World Food Safety Day and World Gastronomy Day.
Held at the Pelangi Ballroom in Shangri-La Rasa Sayang, the event drew 120 executives from across the food industry alongside government officers. This year’s theme, “From Burden to Solutions – Safe Food Everywhere,” set the tone for a day focused on turning food safety from a compliance checkbox into a genuine industry standard.
Presentations covered a broad range of topics. Ho Yoke Wan from the Food Safety and Quality Division at the Penang State Health Department walked attendees through the key updates in the MS1480:2025 standard. Nurul Huda Aziz, a technologist from the Food Safety and Quality Programme, addressed advertising and food labelling practices, looking at how clearer labelling protects both consumers and businesses.
Irma Mohd Samsi from the Malaysian Food Journalists Association spoke on the role of registered food journalism in maintaining ethical reporting and building public trust. Desmond Ching of Metcal Technologies (M) Sdn Bhd tackled the often-overlooked subject of equipment calibration in a session titled “Calibration: Compliance or Mere Formality,” making the case that regulatory requirements must translate into practical, on-the-ground results.
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) practices featured prominently throughout the day, with discussions reinforcing their importance at every stage of the food chain.
The symposium closed with a Pledge Wall activity, where all participants affirmed their commitment to upholding food safety standards and building a culture of accountability across the industry.
Cluster General Manager Jegan Selvarajan put it plainly: “In the hospitality and food industry, safety is the foundation of trust, every guest experience depends on consistent, accountable practices, and we must turn compliance into meaningful protection for the people who put their confidence in us.”
