The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department kicked off its Food Safety Day 2026 promotional campaign today (June 7). With "handwashing" as the core theme, a series of thematic short videos, social media posts, and posters, will be launched to highlight the importance of maintaining hand hygiene in preventing foodborne diseases, and to echo World Food Safety Day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

     Maintaining proper hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures for preventing foodborne diseases and safeguarding food safety. Unclean hands of food handlers may transfer harmful microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, from bacterial carriers or raw food to utensils, surfaces and ready-to-eat food.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "Food handlers should wash their hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, as alcohol hand sanitisers work less effectively at removing grease, dirt and certain foodborne microorganisms. When washing hands, the rubbing process should last for at least 20 seconds. To prevent the spread of preventable infectious diseases, handwashing should be carried out before and after handling food, before putting on gloves and after removing them."

     The spokesman also reminded food handlers to wash their hands whenever possibly contaminated, such as after touching the face, coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, smoking, and handling money, waste, mobile phones, chemicals or raw food ingredients, as well as after completing cleaning tasks.

     Members of the public are also reminded that wearing gloves cannot replace proper handwashing. Food handlers and the public should maintain good personal hygiene practices and adopt appropriate hygiene measures when preparing food, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne diseases and curbing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

     For more information about Food Safety Day 2026, please visit the CFS website at www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_act/Food_Safety_Day_2026.html.

Ends/Sunday, June 7, 2026
Issued at HKT 16:25

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