Hot pot

• Inadequate cooking
• Improper storage of food
• Beef contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC)

• Undercooked foods are high-risk food, as there is insufficient heat treatment to kill foodborne pathogens or“superbugs”before eating.
• Purchase food ingredients from reputable and hygienic suppliers and maintain a purchase log.
• Use designated tools and equipment for handling foods. Clean and disinfect utensils, equipment and working area regularly.
• Staff should follow the Five Keys to Food Safety and maintain good personal hygiene, including frequent to reduce the risk of food contamination. Wash hands before and after handling food (especially raw foods), and after going to the toilet.
• Ensure food kept in the refrigerator at 4°C or below and frozen food in the freezer at 18°C or below. Make sure the refrigerator is not overcrowded to allow circulation of cold air.
• Avoid contamination of raw and cooked food during storage and handling of food. Ideally, install two refrigerators for storing raw food and cooked/ready to eat food separately.
• Poultry meat, pork and beef should be sliced into thin strips for easy cooking.
• When serving self service hot pot, remind consumers to cook the food thoroughly and provide them with cooking instructions i.e. the cooking time of different types of food, to ensure that the core temperature reaches 75°C or above. Whenever water or soup is added, food should be picked up only after it is boiled thoroughly
• Provide consumers with two different sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked food separately to avoid cross contamination.
• It is necessary to strengthen the training on food safety, environment and personal hygiene of management personnel and food handlers.