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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (January 21) reminded the public to heed food safety tips when purchasing or preparing "poon choi", a popular food item during the Lunar New Year festive period.
"Poon choi", which comprises a great variety of food items involving a number of processing steps, demands meticulous attention in preparing.
"To enjoy a delicious and healthy meal, people should pay particular attention to food safety," a CFS spokesman said.
"People should order 'poon choi' from reliable and licensed food suppliers. If they want to make their own, they should maintain good personal and food hygiene to ensure food safety."
Here are some safety tips for enjoying "poon choi":
When purchasing "poon choi"
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* Avoid picking up "poon choi" too early, to prevent microbiological growth due to prolonged storage. Generally, half an hour to one hour before consumption is preferred.
* Insulating equipment should be provided during transportation. The "poon choi" provided by the suppliers should be kept at a temperature of 60 degrees Celsius or above.
* Ask how the "poon choi" should be reheated before eating, and whether it is possible to reheat it in its original container.
* Reheat "poon choi" immediately upon arrival to maintain its temperature at 60 degrees Celsius or above.
When preparing "poon choi"
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* Buy ingredients from reliable and licensed suppliers.
* Plan the work schedule, such as the time of cooking and the ingredients involved. Don't start cooking too early.
* Defrost frozen food inside the chilled compartment of a refrigerator or under running water.
* Keep raw and cooked foods at different levels in the refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination. Keep cooked food above the raw ones.
* Before preparing "poon choi", thoroughly clean cutting boards, knives, containers and other cooking utensils. Use different sets of utensils to handle raw and cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination.
* Cook all foods thoroughly, especially high risk foods like seafood and poached chickens.
When eating "poon choi"
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* Reheat and consume "poon choi" as soon as possible after receiving it. Finish it in one go to avoid repeated reheating.
* Reheat "poon choi" thoroughly until its core temperature reaches 75 degrees Celsius or above before consumption.
* Use communal chopsticks and spoons at meal times.
People may browse the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk) for more food safety tips.
Ends/Monday, January 21, 2008
Issued at HKT 14:46
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