FEHD strives to ensure food safety of school lunch boxes (with photo)
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A spokesman for the FEHD said today (February 14), "The FEHD has launched a series of operations since yesterday (February 13) and inspected several food factories supplying school lunch boxes. Food samples were collected for testing. Health advice was also given, and food safety pamphlets were distributed to operators and staff of food factories regarding the proper way of handling school lunch boxes. The relevant operations will continue."
As regards the recent reports on the food quality of meal boxes supplied to a school, the FEHD has already contacted the school concerned earlier today to learn more about the situation, and has arranged inspections to the licensed food factories concerned to ensure that the licensing conditions in respect of food handling and processing are observed by the operators, and that hygienic standards stipulated in the laws are met. The FEHD will continue to follow up on the investigation.
The spokesman reminded that schools should order lunch boxes from suppliers with a valid Food Factory Licence issued by the FEHD, and that suppliers are endorsed to provide lunch boxes. Before making a decision, schools should also visit the premises to ensure that food handlers observe safety and hygiene practices.
Furthermore, the lunch boxes should be consumed as soon as possible after delivery. Avoid eating the food if abnormalities are found, and immediately inform the supplier or lodge a complaint with the FEHD.
Suppliers should follow the basic food hygiene/safety principles and ensure staff members observe good personal and environmental hygiene. The food items should be kept heated at a temperature too hot for bacteria to grow until they are delivered to schools for consumption.
In order to ensure food safety on campus, the CFS also sent letters to the school management and lunch box caterers, urging them to pay attention to the food safety of the lunch boxes supplied to students. The CFS also conducted site visits to the food factories that manufacture lunch boxes to promote the "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points" (HACCP) system and thereby reduce the risks associated with food contamination. The schools can refer to the CFS's "Guidelines on How to Ensure School Lunches Ordered Are Safe" when selecting lunch box suppliers, while the lunch box caterers can make use of the "Developing a School Food Safety Plan Based on HACCP system (for School Lunch Box Caterers)" to learn more about how to enhance the safety of lunch box production.
Ends/Tuesday, February 14, 2023
Issued at HKT 20:00
Issued at HKT 20:00
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