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ˇ@ˇ@On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (September 21) appealed to people to heed food safety when eating mooncakes.
ˇ@ˇ@Mooncakes come in many varieties. Apart from traditional mooncakes, there are also snowy mooncakes and ice-cream mooncakes. ˇ§Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo high-temperature treatment during the manufacturing process, tend to pose higher microbiological risks than traditional mooncakes. They need to be handled hygienically and with proper temperature control during transportation and storage to prevent contamination and growth of bacteria,ˇ¨ a CFS spokesman said.
ˇ@ˇ@Following are some safety tips for mooncake lovers:
*When purchasing mooncakes, check if they are properly packaged and watch out for any abnormality in appearance;
*Check the expiry dates and consume the mooncakes before the expiry dates;
*Take snowy or ice-cream mooncakes home immediately after purchase, keep them in a suitable temperature compartment of a refrigerator, and make sure that they are wrapped properly to avoid cross contamination;
*Snowy mooncakes should be kept at four degrees Celsius or below while ice-cream mooncakes should be kept at minus 18 degrees Celsius or below;
*Discard snowy and ice-cream mooncakes that have been kept at room temperature for more than two hours;
*Do not consume mooncakes if they look or taste abnormal;
*Use an icebox to keep snowy or ice-cream mooncakes at appropriate temperature when carrying them outdoors. Take the mooncakes out of the icebox only upon eating;
*Wash hands before consuming the mooncakes.
ˇ@ˇ@The spokesman said people should eat mooncakes in moderation as most of them were rich in sugar and fat. People with chronic illnesses should consult physicians or dietitians before eating mooncakes.
Ends/Friday, September 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 17:51
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