The electronic news (e-news) is regularly providing the most updated food safety information. You are invited to register your email address for receiving the e-news issued by the Centre for Food Safety (CFS), including Food Alerts, Index of CFS periodicals, information of activities, and other contents newly published or updated at the CFS website. If you also provide the optional information on your profession or field of work, we may provide you with additional information as relevant.
Latest issue of E-News (6/1/2022)
(1) Minimising Food-related Choking in Young Children
Young children have small air and food passages, and their food-biting or chewing skills are still under development, they can choke on food easily especially when the foods are difficult to bite or chew and may then get stuck in their throats. Foods more likely to cause choking include konjac jellies, raw carrot, grapes, nectarines, hot dogs, peanut butter and raw pineapple etc.
For the foods likely to cause choking above (for example, konjac jellies), they are safe for consumption. However, konjac jellies are so small that people tend to suck them out directly into the mouth. They are harder than ordinary jellies and do not dissolve easily in the mouth. Sucking also causes the jelly to block the windpipe easily.
To minimise the risks of food-related choking in young children, the caregivers should take the following precautionary measures:
- Always pay attention to the young children especially take great care during consumption;
- Modify the texture of high risk foods by various techniques, e.g. cooking, fine-chopping, mashing, peeling off the skin, or removing the strong fibres;
- Avoid giving foods that the texture is difficult to be modified (e.g. small hard foods) to young children; and
- As an example, the caregivers should avoid young children sucking the konjac jellies and should cut them into small pieces before consumption.
To avoid any accidents, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) calls on parents or caregivers to teach their children or young children the correct way, instead of sucking, to eat the foods likely to cause choking. The CFS also intermittently reminds the food trade (including food manufacturers) to improve the design of the food products, especially their size. A warning should be added on the food package to remind parents or caregivers to take care when eating the above foods.
For more information, please browse the following website:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fsf/whatsnew_fsf_jelly.html
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_141_04.html
(2) Let's Beat COVID-19 Together
To minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in food premises, operators of food premises are advised to maintain high standards of hygiene and cleanliness. The CFS reminds the staff of food premises to practise good personal hygiene (e.g. washing hands before or after handling food, after clean-up is carried out, after handling refuse or other dirty items, and after visiting the toilet).
For more about advisory on beating COVID-19, please visit the webpage for details:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fstr/whatsnew_fstr_Beat_COVID-19.html
(3) Temporary closure of Communication Resource Unit
To tie in with social distancing measures tightened by the Government in response to the epidemic situation of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, the CFS' Communication Resource Unit located at FEHD Nam Cheong Offices will be temporarily closed from 7 January 2022 (Friday) with all programmes held at the Unit cancelled until further notice.
(4) Food Safety Focus (185th Issue, December 2021)
The topics of the current issue are: ·
- Process Contaminants in Food – Should I be Concerned?
- Nitrate and Nitrite – To Add or Not to Add?
- Ergot Alkaloids in Food
- Reduce Food Waste to Help Move Towards Carbon Neutrality
You are most welcome to read the publication at:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsf_185_01.html
(5) Food Safety Report for November 2021
To deliver the latest food safety information timely to the public, the CFS announces the monthly “Food Safety Report”, sharing the food surveillance results.
Please visit the webpage for related press release:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20211231_9124.html
(6) Roving Exhibitions on Food Safety
The roving exhibitions will be held in January 2022 at Yeung Uk Road Market and Yee On Street Market. Panels cover topics on Enhance Food Traceability, Strengthen Food Safety, Pesticide Residues, Trans Fats, 5 Keys for Food Safety, Veterinary Drug Residues, Acrylamide, Food Safety Advice for Pregnant Women, Nutrition Labelling and Ciguatoxins.
For more information, please browse the following website:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_act/whatsnew_act_Roving_Exhibition_2022.html
(7) Food Safety Bulletin (for Consumers) and Food Safety Express (for Food Trade)
The Food Safety Bulletin (for Consumers) and Food Safety Express (for Food Trade) had been published. This issue includes “Microbiological Quality of Siu-mei After Prolonged Storage at Ambient Temperature”, “Raw Freshwater Fish and Group B Streptococcus Infection”, “News on CFS” and “Watch Out for Cannabidiol Food Products That May Contain Prohibited Ingredients”, etc.
You are most welcome to read the publication at:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fsb_202104.html
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/multimedia/multimedia_pub/multimedia_pub_fse_202104.html