Bacteria Files

• Vibrio parahaemolyticus Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a kind of bacterium naturally found in the marine environment and seafood. Marine products are easily contaminated by Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus include diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, fever etc.

Salmonella

• Salmonella is usually found in the intestinal tract of human and animals. Food items easily contaminated by Salmonella include meat, poultry, milk, eggs and egg products. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by Salmonella include abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, fever etc.

Staphylococcus aureus

• This bacteria is frequently present in human skin, hair, nasal cavity, throat and wounds. Foods (e.g. lunch boxes, cakes, pastries, sandwiches) which have been subject to various handling procedures, with no subsequent cooking or reheating before consumption, are easily contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus. Symptoms of food poisoning caused by Staphylococcus aureus include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea etc.

Purchase and Storage of Raw Materials/Ingredients

• Purchase food from reliable sources.
• Check the goods upon delivery. For instance, inspect whether the packaging of packaged food is intact and the "Use By" or "Best Before" date on the label.
• Do not buy food that looks abnormal (e.g. swollen or dented canned food).
• Food should be stored on a "first-in-first-out" basis.

Food Handling

• Raw food, especially meat and seafood, must be washed and cooked thoroughly.
• Wash hands with liquid soap for at least 20 seconds before handling food, or after going to the toilet or touching dirty things, e.g. clearing the refuse.
• Staff infected with communicable diseases such as gastroenteritis or influenza must not handle food to avoid spreading of pathogens.
• Cuts or wounds, if any, should be covered with waterproof plaster before handling food.

Food Storage

• Cooked food and raw food should be prepared and stored separately to avoid cross-contamination.
• Cooked food and raw food should be stored at different racks in the refrigerator. To avoid cross-contamination, raw food should be put below cooked food.
• Cooked food not for immediate consumption should be stored at or below 4℃ or at or above 60℃. Do not store food at room temperature to minimise bacterial growth.

Many people in Hong Kong usually link fatty foods with obesity. We may have questions like "What are the nutritional value and function of fat? How does fat affect our health?".

Fat, also known as triglycerides and composed of glycerol and fatty acids, is a class of lipids. Fat can be divided into saturated fat and unsaturated fat, depending on their chemical structures. Unsaturated fat can be further divided into mono- and poly-unsaturated fats. Edible fats and oils, butter, margarine, salad dressings, fried foods and high fat animal products are of high fat content.

High-fat foods are generally regarded as high-calorie (also known as "energy") foods, as the calorie provided by fat is higher than that provided by carbohydrate and protein (1 gram of fat provides 9 kcal while 1 gram of carbohydrate or protein provides 4 kcal). Besides providing energy, fat carries fat-soluble vitamins (i.e. vitamins A, D, E and K) and protects organs against shock. Hence, fat is essential in our diet.

However, excessive intake of fat has been linked to major health problems, such as increased risks of cardiovascular diseases, obesity and certain types of cancers. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has recommended not more than 30% of daily energy intake should come from fat source. Based on the daily energy intake of 2 000 kcal, the intake of fat should not be more than 65 gram.

To know more about the fat and nutrient contents of food you are about to purchase, read the information on the nutrition label when you do your shopping.

The various kinds of soy sauce available in the market are made by fermentation. They taste delicious, and are used in cooking, marinating or for dipping and can enhance the colour, aroma and flavour of foods.

In 2006, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received some 20 complaints about the presence of larvae inside bottled soy sauce. Investigation found that they were mainly the larvae of flies, and there were adult flies in some complaint articles.

The smell of fermented food (including soy sauce) is especially attractive to flies. If the soy sauce is not properly covered, flies may find their way into the container and lay eggs (some species may lay larvae) in the soy sauce.

With the detection of a prohibited dye Sudan Red in eggs supplied to Hong Kong from the Mainland last year, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) promptly reached a consensus with the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) to step up control over the import of poultry eggs to Hong Kong . The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (HKSARG) will expedite the legislation process to further regulate the import. Proposals include the requirement for poultry egg importers to be registered in advance, the requirement of prior import permission for egg imports and the requirement for each import consignment to be accompanied by a health certificate.

In the meantime, CFS has implemented the following measures to enhance the transparency in the sale of poultry eggs, with a view to trace the source more efficiently in the event of food incidents involving imported poultry eggs.

• A voluntary enrolment scheme has been launched for poultry egg importers/ wholesalers/distributors. A list of enrolled poultry egg importers/wholesalers/ distributors will be uploaded onto the CFS website for reference by the trade; and
• Enrolled poultry egg importers/ wholesalers/distributors are required to submit to CFS on a regular basis information about the egg import/ wholesale/distribution, including the place of import, category and quantity of eggs as well as the details of wholesale/distribution.

With "Food Safety in the New Era" as its theme, the Interna tional Symposium on Food Safety cum Official Opening Ceremony of the Centre for Food Safety, organised by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), was held on 12 and 13 January 2007 at the Kowloon Shangri-la Hotel. Guests and speakers from local, the Mainland and overseas food authorities/ institutions shared their experience, expertise and insight on risk assessment, risk management and risk communication with respect to food safety during the two event days. The participants benefited greatly from the discussions. Here are some pictures taken by young reporter at the Symposium.

To introduce to the public on the proposed amendments to the Preservatives in Food Regulations and to seek their views on the subject, CFS held two public consultation forums on January 23 and February 7 at the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Central Library respectively. At the forums, views were freely expressed and the proposed amendments actively discussed. Before the proposed amendments are finalised, CFS will thoroughly consider the views expressed by the public at the forums and through other means.