| 
| Food Safety Charter 2009 |
|
 |
 |
5 Keys to Food Safety
By adopting proper food handling practices, most foodborne diseases can be prevented. The World Health Organization (WHO) has previously developed the Ten Golden Rules for Safe Food Preparation, and subsequently grouped the messages under simpler headings and introduced the 5 Keys to Safer Food poster for spreading WHO¡¦s food hygiene message throughout the world.
Locally, as reported by the Department of Health, ¡§inadequate cooking¡¨, ¡§contamination by raw food¡¨ and ¡§poor personal hygiene of food handlers¡¨ were the top three contributing factors for food poisoning outbreaks in Hong Kong in 2007.
To gear up community efforts in enhancing food safety, especially during summer months when the risk of food poisoning outbreaks increases, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department had launched a mass publicity campaign in mid-2008 promoting the 5 Keys to Food Safety:
| Choose |
(Choose safe raw materials) |
| Clean |
(Keep hands and utensils clean) |
| Separate |
(Separate raw and cooked food) |
| Cook |
(Cook thoroughly) |
| Safe Temperature |
(Keep food at safe temperature) |
We also implemented a new activity, the Food Safety Charter, and invited members of the food trade to sign up to the Charter to join hands with us to disseminate the messages of the 5 Keys to Food Safety. A total of 20 food trade associations and more than 1600 licensed food premises / supermarkets / convenience stores signed up to the Charter, signifying encouraging response from the food trade in promoting the 5 Keys to Food Safety.
We would like to invite food trade associations and licensed food premises to sign up to the Food Safety Charter 2009, so as to promote and practise the 5 Keys to Food Safety.
Mission of the Signatory
Upon signing the Charter, the signatory is committed to the following:
Ć
- promote and practise the 5 Keys to Food Safety;
Ć
- set a good example for the food trade to help build a food safe city; and
Ć
- build a good image of the signatories.
Obligations of the Signatory
In order to be qualified as a signatory, individual licensed food premises have to undertake to perform the following activities between August 2009 and July 2010:
Ć
- practise the 5 Keys to Food Safety in their food premises;
Ć
- display ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ and ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ sticker(s) in their food premises;
Ć
- display any of the CFS¡¦s 5 Keys to Food Safety publicity materials in their food premises; and
Ć
- provide training to staff on food safety/hygiene.
For food trade associations, they have to undertake to perform the following activities between August 2009 and July 2010:
Ć
- display ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ and ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ sticker(s) in their premises;
Ć
- display any of the CFS¡¦s 5 Keys to Food Safety publicity materials in their premises;
Ć
- encourage members to sign up to the Food Safety Charter 2009; and
Ć
- encourage members to promote and practise the 5 Keys to Food Safety.
Signatories are also encouraged to organise other additional activities between August 2009 and July 2010.
Benefits of the Signatory
Being signatories of the Food Safety Charter, the food trade associations/ licensed food premises are entitled to the followings:
- the name, district, website and major type of cuisine served will be listed in the designated ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ webpage of the CFS with an enhanced user-friendly search function;
- signatory list will be shown in the roving exhibitions between September and December 2009 organised by the CFS and a computer will be available in the exhibition venue to facilitate the public to identify the signatories near their homes or workplaces;
- to be provided with a Charter and stickers showing ¡§Food Safety Charter 2009¡¨ for display in the respective premises to help build a positive image in ensuring food safety;
- to be provided with publicity materials to facilitate the promotion of the 5 Keys to Food Safety;
- to attend the food hygiene seminars organised by the CFS. Among these, two tailor-made seminars will be held for food handlers working in kitchens of the signatories. Moreover, voluntary assessment will be provided to participants and those who get a satisfactory result will receive a certificate as recognition; and
- food trade associations will be invited to attend the Food Safety Charter Presentation Ceremony to be held together with the Food Safety Seminar for Trade scheduled for 17 September 2009.
New Recognition Scheme of Food Safety Charter
In order to recognise the continuous support of the food trade in ensuring food safety, a new recognition scheme is introduced this year.
(1) Food Trade Association
Food trade associations which have signed the Charter and also successfully encouraged their members to sign the Charter for three consecutive years will be granted a Star Award in the Charter. Details of the recognition scheme for food trade associations are summarised in Diagram 1.
(2) Licensed Food Premises
Licensed food premises which have signed the Charter for three consecutive years and met the food safety and hygiene requirements (Table 1) in the past two years will be granted an Award in the Charter. However, if the food premises fails to comply with any of the food safety and hygiene requirements, their signatory status or Award will be withdrawn and their name delisted from the Signatory List on the CFS website. Details of the recognition scheme for licensed food premises are summarised in Diagram 2.
Table 1: Food safety and hygiene requirements of the Recognition Scheme
Licensed food premises do not have history of the following incidents: |
- Suspension or cancellation of licence under the Demerit Points System of the FEHD;
|
- Suspension or cancellation of licence due to breach of FEHD¡¦s licensing conditions/requirements;
|
- Closure of food premises ordered by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene; or
|
- Food poisoning cases occurring in the food premises as recorded by the CFS.
|
|
How to Apply
Food trade associations can send their completed Application Form for Food Trade Association, together with completed Application Form for Licensed Food Premises by their members in one batch to CFS.
Licensed food premises can send their completed Application Form for Licensed Food Premises directly to CFS or via your Association.
Please send your completed application form to us on or before 14 August 2009
Fax number: 2787 3638
Address: Communication Resource Unit, Centre for Food Safety, 8/F, Fa Yuen Street Municipal Services Building, 123A Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok, Kowloon.
For enquiries, please call 2381 6965 or 2381 6279
|
