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The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will launch an intensive six-month programme to hammer home the importance of adopting the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles in domestic settings.
With the theme "Food safety is in your hands, critical control points are your friends", the programme has started in December this year and will last until June 2003.
Announcing details of the promotional programme today (December 20), the Consultant (Community Medicine) of FEHD, Dr Ho Yuk-yin, said that bacterial food poisoning was usually caused by the consumption of food inadequately cooked or improperly stored.
A total of 1 841 food poisoning cases were recorded from the year 2000 to September 2002. Of them, about 36 per cent (660 cases) were domestic food poisoning cases.
"The HACCP system adopts a proactive approach to anticipate the occurrence of potential problems in the process of food production and to implement measures designed to prevent such occurrences," Dr. Ho said.
"HACCP system comprises seven basic principles that members of the public can take heed of. We should identify potential hazards, determine critical control points (CCPs) and their standards and to take corrective actions in the case standards are not met.
"In the implementation of HACCP in domestic setting such as kitchen, we can apply these principles to the process of purchase, storage, preparation, cooking and consumption," he added.
Dr. Ho pointed out that while it might not be necessary for the public to adopt all the steps and procedures prescribed in the HACCP system, they can introduce the principles of the system to their daily food handling procedures.
They can also take reference from and indeed adopt some of the major elements of the system including analysis of hazards, identification of CCPs and formulation of CCP control standards.
"All these will greatly reduce the possibilities of spread of food-borne diseases," Dr. Ho said.
Dr. Ho further cited a few examples to illustrate the implementation of CCPs. These included:
* Proper storage of sushi/sashimi to prevent bacteria from multiplying;
* Use of separate utensils such as chopping boards in preparing raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination;
* Thorough cooking of shellfish seafood like oysters to eliminate Norwalk-like virus and hepatitis A virus; and
* Proper handling of vegetables to eliminate potential hazards posed by pesticide like methamipodophos.
The HACCP concept was first pioneered in the 1960's by the Pillsbury Company, the US Army and NASA as a collaborative development of the production of safe foods for the space programme. The Codex Alimentarius Commission in 1993 published the guidelines for HACCP application. This document has then been well received and is getting wide international acceptance.
During the promotional and educational period, there will be a variety of programmes including roving exhibitions at shopping malls, distribution of publicity literature, seminars for the public, broadcast of pre-recorded stories at FEHD's hotline(2868 0000),upload of HACCP messages at FEHD homepage (web-site : www.fehd.gov.hk).
In addition, a series of related workshops will be organised in collaboration with the Department of Health.
In a similar vein, as the festive season is just round the corner, Dr. Ho called upon the public to follow suit simple food safety tips when celebrating the festivities in order to avoid any mishaps.
These are: purchase food from licensed and reputable shops; store food properly and at appropriate temperature; prepare the suitable amount of food for parties; set out the handling procedures of cold and hot dishes; store and reheat food leftovers properly; and keep a balanced diet and eat healthily.
End/Friday, December 20, 2002
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