I live in Brisbane, so when I eat fish it’s golden snapper, scallops or big fat prawns. All from our local shores.

It ain’t cheap, but damn it’s good.

In China, they have something called fish balls which sounds as gross as I imagine they are. Penang Health Department inspectors ordered the closure of a 50-year-old fish ball factory after vermin were found contaminating products at its premises.

Food Safety and Quality Division (BKMM) environmental health officer, Mohd Wazir Khalid, said the factory has 14 days to improve cleanliness after flies, cockroaches and centipedes were discovered on the food and in storage containers; while rat droppings were found in the storeroom.

“Although it is not a halal product, we still have a responsibility to protect the non-Muslim community,” he said of the Ops Tegar that was conducted yesterday.

He told reporters that the product was found on the floor, covered in flies and cockroaches, which could cause food poisoning.

He said they also found a fish ball product mixed with a pork-based product that was not labelled in Malay, violating Regulation 10 of the Food Act 1983, which could cause consumer confusion because it is sold at wet markets around Penang.

Mohd Wazir said the factory was raided twice last year and given a verbal warning for the same violations.

He said BKMM also issued three compound notices under Regulation 32 of the Food Act 1983 because employees were not wearing aprons or shoes, and many had not been immunised against typhoid.

Barefoot in fish balls is food I don’t want to think about.  I had the privilege of seeing Dutch live in small Canadian clubs several times over the years. Great entertainer.