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The number of food poisoning outbreaks related to food premises and food businesses investigated by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has been steady over the last three years, with a total of 290 cases recorded last year.
The Principal Medical Officer of the CFS (Risk Assessment and Communication), Dr Teresa Choi and Senior Medical Officer (Food Incidents Response and Management), Dr Kelvin Low, held a press briefing today (April 18) to shed light on the relations between food poisoning outbreaks and inappropriate holding temperature.
"The number of people affected by food poisoning outbreaks has remained roughly between 900 and 1,300 over the past three years, in contrast with the some 3,300 in 2006," Dr Kelvin Low said.
"The decrease in figures reflects that government efforts in safeguarding food safety are paying off with active trade participation and heightened public awareness," he said. "However, the relative steadiness in recent years suggests that some food safety measures need to be enhanced to sustain a downward trend."
He noted that the number of food poisoning outbreaks related to improper holding temperature increased from 15 in 2010 to 31 in 2011.
When they are not consumed immediately, cooked foods and other perishable items should be stored in proper equipment at a temperature of 4 degrees Celsius or below, or above 60 degrees C, so as to avoid bacterial overgrowth. For example, drunken chicken and beef stew are dishes that are required to be stored properly in cold or hot holding temperatures.
Bacteria were by far the most common causative agents, accounting for 81 per cent of the outbreaks, with vibrio parahaemolyticus, Salmonella spp. and staphylococcus aureus remaining the top three causes of bacterial food poisoning outbreaks.
They may naturally occur in the food or be acquired through cross-contamination. In either situation, the bacteria can multiply when the food is placed in room temperature, within the danger zone of 4 to 60 degrees C, for prolonged periods.
Dr Teresa Choi urged members of the public to observe good food safety practices, adding that high temperature treatment was the most effective way to destroy bacteria.
She reminded food trade operators and members of the public to cook food thoroughly with a core temperature of 75 degrees C or above.
To prevent bacterial growth, Dr Choi said, food should be kept outside the temperature danger zone of between four degrees C and 60 degrees C.
"This means that hot or cooked food should be kept at above 60 degrees Celsius while cold food should be kept at or below four degrees Celsius before serving.
"Cooked and perishable food should be discarded after being kept at room temperature for more than four hours," she added.
She also reminded members of the public that during food preparation, in addition to avoiding cross-contamination between raw and cooked food, foods need to be cooked thoroughly before consumption. In addition, if not for immediate consumption, cooked food needs to be kept at a proper temperature for food safety.
A list of food establishments which have signed the Food Safety Charter to disseminate the message of "Five Keys to Food Safety" to their staff and put the food safety measures into practice can be found on the Openrice.com website. "Five Keys to Food Safety" refers to:
1. Choose – choose safe raw materials;
2. Clean – keep hands and utensils clean;
3. Separate – separate raw and cooked food;
4. Cook – cook thoroughly;
5. Safe temperature – keep food at or below four degrees C or above 60 degrees C.
A mobile application tool was also put in place to enable the public to search for food premises that have signed up to the Charter.
Members of the public can search for the shops or restaurants by selecting their region, district, type and cuisine served or entering their keyword, Dr Choi said.
The Centre for Food Safety is organising a Food Safety Day on May 26 under the theme "Get the Temperature Right" to remind the public about food preparation practices.
A series of talks will also be organised for the public and the trade on food safety issues, covering getting the temperature right, avoiding physical hazards in food, nutrition labeling, and what we need to know about food incidents. A photo competition will be held in the second half of this year to encourage greater public participation. More information about CFS' food safety initiatives is available at its website: www.cfs.gov.hk.
Ends/Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Issued at HKT 14:07
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