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With the festive season approaching, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 11) reminded people to take necessary precautionary measures to prevent food-related illness during holidays.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Contaminated food can cause short-lived symptoms (e.g. vomiting and diarrhoea) to longer and more severe diseases (e.g. cholera and hepatitis A). People should remain vigilant and observe food hygiene during holidays."
The key measures to prevent food-borne diseases are as follows:
(I) Buffets at restaurants
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* For foods that are cooked on the spot such as BBQ foods and noodles, check whether the foods are thoroughly cooked;
* Use separate utensils provided by the restaurants to take raw and cooked foods; and
* Finish food as soon as possible to avoid keeping it at room temperature for a long time.
(II) Catering
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* Wash hands thoroughly before handling food;
* Hot dishes should be kept at above 60 degrees Celsius, and cold dishes at 4 degrees Celsius or below;
* Separate raw and cooked foods during preparation and cooking to avoid cross-contamination; and
* Do not keep cooked food at room temperature for more than two hours and refrigerate leftovers promptly at 4 degrees Celsius or below. Discard any food kept at ambient temperature for more than four hours.
(III) Takeaway "poon choi"
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* Keep chilled "poon choi" at 4 degrees Celsius or below after collection;
* Heat "poon choi" thoroughly until its core temperature reaches at least 75 degrees Celsius or bring it to a boil. Use communal chopsticks and spoons during consumption; and
* Consume reheated "poon choi" as soon as possible and finish it in one go. Discard it when kept at ambient temperature for more than four hours.
The spokesman reminded members of the public to patronise reliable shops and restaurants and maintain a balanced diet, whether they are staying in town or travelling abroad during the long holidays. The elderly, children, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity in particular should avoid consuming high-risk foods like raw foods or cold dishes.
Please visit the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk) for more food safety tips.
Ends/Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Issued at HKT 14:31
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