{
  "id": 12868044,
  "title": "Health Ministry developing index to track food safety controls",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/health-ministry-developing-index-to-track-food-safety-controls",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-10-08T12:43:18.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2026/10/1550770/health-ministry-developing-index-track-food-safety-controls"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is creating a Food Safety Index to evaluate the efficiency of food safety controls throughout the nation's food supply chain, according to Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The index will evaluate the overall performance of the national food safety control system through three main areas: government, industry, and consumers. Data collection for the consumer domain is being carried out nationwide, focusing on selected districts based on information from the Statistics Department. This initiative aligns with the National Food Safety Policy 2.0, which strengthens the Food Safety and Quality Programme's role as the food safety gatekeeper and reinforces efforts to provide safe and high-quality food for the populace. During the final debate on the Food (Amendment) Bill 2026 in the Dewan Rakyat, Dr Dzulkefly stated that the amendments would also expand controls over food-contact materials and enable field verification at overseas facilities. To ensure preparedness over the next decade, the ministry has established a National Food Analysis Laboratory Holistic Framework, integrating the resources and expertise of food analysis laboratories nationwide.",
  "summary": "KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry is developing a Food Safety Index to measure the effectiveness of food safety controls across the country’s food supply chain.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Dewan Rakyat passes Bill giving Health DG greater powers over unsafe food",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/dewan-rakyat-passes-bill-giving-health-dg-greater-powers-over-unsafe",
        "published": "2026-10-08T12:23:34.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}