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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (December 14) released the test results from a seasonal food surveillance project to assess the microbiological quality of "poon choi".
A CFS spokesman said the centre had recently collected 15 samples of "poon choi" from restaurants and food factories to test for food poisoning organisms, including Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. All results were satisfactory.
Despite the satisfactory results, the spokesman reminded traders to avoid preparing food too far in advance and to take note of the cooking temperature to ensure that food is well done.
"All food and food ingredients should be stored at safe temperatures e.g. perishable items at four degrees Celsius or below. For 'poon choi' to be transported, keep hot 'poon choi' above 60 degrees Celsius and chilled 'poon choi' at four degrees Celsius or below. The cooling time of cooked food should also be reduced to prevent food-borne diseases," he said.
The spokesman also advised consumers to take the following safety tips:
* Order "poon choi" from licensed and reliable suppliers;
* Consume as soon as possible. Avoid prolonged storage of "poon choi" at room temperature to reduce the risk of bacteria growth;
* Keep "poon choi" above 60 degrees Celsius if it is not consumed immediately; and
* Stop consumption immediately if the food tastes or smells abnormal.
"The public should also maintain a balanced diet, and avoid eating too much food with high levels of energy, sugar, fat and/or cholesterol," the spokesman added.
Ends/Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:03
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