Razor clams and fan scallops in Poon Choi

• Inadequate cooking
• Cooked food was contaminated by raw food
• Foods were contaminated with Vibrio parahaemolyticus

• Undercooked foods are high-risk food, as there is insufficient heat treatment to kill foodborne pathogens or“superbugs”before eating.
• Ensure that adequate manpower, ingredients and facilities such as stoves, refrigerators and hot-holding equipment are available to handle each of processing stages systemically to avoid cross contamination.
• Ensure temporary workers for handling poon choi are well-trained, familiarising with the working environment and understanding the rules for safe food preparation.
• 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 handwashing for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food to reduce the risk of food contamination.
• Check shellfish carefully for intact shells and no foul odour. Clean, scrub and rinse the shells under the running water with removing all the organs. Cook them thoroughly.
• Avoid contamination of raw and cooked food (e.g. covering foods properly) during storage and handling of food. Raw food should not be carried to the food-handling area for handling cooked/ready-to-eat food.
• Ideally, install two refrigerators for storing raw food and cooked/ready to eat food separately.
• Carefully plan the preparation schedule to avoid cooking food too far in advance. Cook foods especially high risk foods like seafood or poached chicken thoroughly until their core temperature reaches 75°C or above at least 30 seconds. Keep cooked foods above 60°C.
• Ensure adequate cooling facilities for cooked foods. It should be cooled from 60°C or above to 20°C within 2 hours, and then from 20°C to 4°C within 2 hours. The whole process should not exceed 4 hours.
• Ensure cooled food kept in the refrigerator at 4°C or below or in the freezer at -18°C or below. Make sure the refrigerator is not overcrowded to allow circulation of cold air.
• If poon choi is to be transported, Keep hot poon choi above 60°C or chilled poon choi at 4°C or below, deliver poon choi to the destination as soon as possible and avoid keeping it under room temperature for prolonged period.
• Ensure that Poon Choi has been thoroughly reheated until the core temperature reaches 75°C or above, or to a complete boil before consumption by customers. Larger poon choi takes longer time for thorough reheating. Cover the container and stir food suitably while reheating to ensure even heating.
• Provide written consumption instructions to remind customers of the proper method of storing takeaway Poon Choi if not for immediate consumption, i.e. keep hot Poon Choi at above 60°C and chilled Poon Choi in the refrigerator at 4°C or below, and thorough reheating before consumption.
• Strengthen the training on food safety, environment and personal hygiene of management personnel and food handlers.