Traditional Chinese Simplified Chinese Email this article news.gov.hk
Food safety tips during Easter holiday
**************************************

     With the approach of the Easter holiday, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (March 24) reminded people to take heed of the keys to food safety, and provided them with healthy eating tips to follow during the holiday.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The World Health Organization (WHO) has chosen 'Food Safety' as the theme for this year's World Health Day on April 7 to remind people of the importance of food safety. Members of the public are advised to apply the five simple and effective keys advocated by the WHO to prevent food-borne disease, namely keeping clean, separating raw and cooked food, cooking food thoroughly, keeping food at safe temperatures, and using safe water and raw materials."

Safety tips for dining out and holiday buffets:
----------------------------------------------

* Patronise licensed restaurants that are reliable and hygienic;
* Wash hands thoroughly with warm water and liquid soap before eating and after going to the toilet. If there are special fun activities such as an Easter egg hunt and a magic show arranged for customers during the meal, remember to wash hands thoroughly after the activities and before eating again;
* Use designated utensils provided by the restaurant to pick up raw and cooked foods separately to prevent cross-contamination;
* Check if the food has been thoroughly cooked. If there are pinkish juices running from cooked meat and chicken or the middle parts of the bones are still red in colour, ask the restaurant to cook them again until fully done; and
* Finish the food as soon as possible in order to avoid keeping it at room temperature for a prolonged period of time.

Food safety tips for travellers:
-------------------------------

* Buy food from hygienic and reliable premises. Do not patronise street vendors or other food outlets with poor hygiene conditions or seen with improper handling of food;
* Make sure that cooked food is not in contact with raw food when patronising street food vendors or dining in hotels and restaurants to avoid cross-contamination of raw and cooked food;
* Avoid foods sold by restaurants and vendors if they are not kept hot (above 60 degrees Celsius) or refrigerated (at or below 4 degrees C);
* Avoid visiting live poultry markets and having contact with poultry, birds and their droppings; and
* Eat poultry meat and eggs only if thoroughly cooked; avoid consuming raw or undercooked animal products, including milk and meat.

     The CFS spokesman said, "During the holiday, people should also maintain a balanced diet and avoid consuming too much beverages and food with added sugar such as soft drinks, juice beverages, confections such as chocolate Easter eggs and other desserts. The consumption of snacks and processed food should be moderated as they are usually high in salt content. People are advised to make use of the nutrition labels of prepackaged food to compare their nutritional contents for healthier food choices."

     Please visit the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk) for more food safety tips.

Ends/Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Issued at HKT 15:31

NNNN

Print this page