KUCHING: Ramadan bazaar traders are actively promoting ways to reduce food waste as a practical and responsible practice.
Shaker Jalil, a 39-year-old trader who sells fried noodles at Stutong Bazaar, spoke to New Sarawak Tribune about his understanding on the importance of not wasting food.
“We donate to those in need, like neighbours, the needy, and the homeless,” he said.
However, in situations where there is excess food, such as on rainy days, unsold quantities can potentially double, and traders may have no choice but to discard the food if they cannot find suitable recipients.
“This is why business planning is important – to determine how much to pack and cook, among other things,” he added.
Shaker said although he’s unaware of any specific standard operating procedures (SOPs) for food waste, he believes traders do receive some guidance.
“Reducing it should be common sense for all traders. While there may not be SOPs in place, it’s something that we should all strive to do,” he said.
He said the real challenge is whether traders could find the time and resources to donate food to designated locations. “In my four years as a trader at the Ramadan bazaar, the time frame for distributing food is very limited, making it difficult to find people to donate to, even with instructions.”
As far as his concerns, there’s no mandate or instruction to report food waste.
“I think when people have excess food, they dispose of it like they would at home,” he said, adding that the lack of awareness about food waste results in people and traders not reporting it.
“We tend to keep quiet about it,” he admitted.
Suhaila Musa, a 41-year-old trader who sells mixed rice and drinks, said when surplus food is available, traders don’t complain but rather seek help from someone who can distribute it to food banks or other organisations.
“The shelf life of food is very short, so it’s essential to find ways to distribute it quickly,” she said.
She also thinks local authorities should measure food waste or establish channels for reporting it, not just for Ramadan bazaars but also for supermarkets and shops. “This will help track and reduce the amount of food wasted.”
Suhaila also highlighted that cooked food has a specific shelf life and recognised people’s concerns about the hygiene of food preparers.
“Our main concern when donating food is whether it’s still edible, especially for dishes containing coconut milk and mixed ingredients like ‘nasi kerabu,” she said.
She noted that such dishes don’t last long after being mixed, so they’re unsure if recipients will eat them immediately or store them for later. However, Suhaila said that they always inform recipients about this concern.
“We just hope recipients are knowledgeable enough to determine what food should be eaten immediately and what can be saved for later consumption,” she added.
Suhaila described their approach of measuring the amount of donated food and categorising it as food or drink, then considering nearby recipients.
“For instance, if we have a large quantity of rice, we can’t give it to students who usually prefer individually packed portions. Instead, we can donate it to charity homes, where the rice can be shared among the residents by placing it on a large plate,” she said.
On changing people’s mentality on food waste, Suhaila believes it is difficult as it is deeply ingrained in the culture. “It requires a lot of awareness and programs to educate people on how to prevent food waste.”
She said the government should prioritise this issue and involve multiple ministries and the private sector to address it effectively.
