Food Safety Charter promotes Five Keys to Food Safety(with photo)
The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, commended food traders for their positive response to the promotion of Five Keys to Food Safety.
Speaking at the Food Safety Charter 2009 presentation ceremony today (September 17), Mr Cheuk said 21 food trade associations and 1,700 licensed food premises, supermarkets and convenience stores had signed the Food Safety Charter this year.
He said the charter signatories had not only pledged to disseminate the messages of Five Keys to Food Safety to their staff but also put the food safety measures into practice.
Through the tripartite efforts of the trade, the public and the government to strengthen food safety, public health could be protected, he added.
The Five Keys to Food Safety are - choose: choose safe raw materials; clean: keep hands and utensils clean; separate: separate raw and cooked food; cook: cook thoroughly; and safe temperature: keep food at or below four degrees Celsius or above 60 degrees Celsius.
Adopting proper food handling practices would reduce the risk of foodborne diseases. The public are also encouraged to follow the Five Keys to Food Safety.
To gauge people's knowledge, attitude and behaviour towards these Five Keys, the CFS conducted a survey last year. About 1,200 people were interviewed. Findings indicated that the public acknowledge the effectiveness of the Five Keys in ensuring food safety.
It was found that 96% of the people surveyed agreed on the food safety measures concerning choose, clean, separate and cook, and about 80% agreed on the safe temperature measure.
Although the public had a fair knowledge about the Five Keys, few of them knew the 20-second rule for washing hands (24%) and the 75 degrees Celsius minimal core temperature of food to ensure thorough cooking (27%).
In practice, most people had adopted proper food safety measures concerning choose (82%), clean (81%) and cook (96%). However, nearly half of them had neglected the other two keys - separate (48%) and safe temperature (45%).
To further promote the Five Keys to Food Safety, the CFS has been engaged in publicity and education activities, including production of announcements of public interest, display of posters, distribution of leaflets, stickers and souvenirs, and organisation of roving exhibitions and a Food Safety Day.
Through the Food Safety Charter 2009, the CFS hopes to bring food traders together to drive home the Five Keys. It has also introduced a recognition scheme for associations and food premises that sign the charter for three consecutive years. People can identify the signatories by the display of the "Food Safety Charter 2009" certificate and label inside the premises, and the "Food Safety Charter 2009" badges worn by staff of the signatories.
Also officiating at today's ceremony were the Deputy Chairman, Mr Wong Yung-kan, and member, Mr Tommy Cheung Yu-Yan, of the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, and the Controller of the CFS, Dr Constance Chan.
More information on the Food Safety Charter 2009, the Five Keys to Food Safety and the survey results are available on the CFS website (www.cfs.gov.hk).
Ends/Thursday, September 17, 2009
Issued at HKT 17:31
(Front row) : The Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Wong Yung-kan(fifth from left)and member Mr Tommy Cheung (eighth from left), the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing (sixth from left), and the Controller of the Centre for Food Safety, Dr Constance Chan (seventh from left), with representatives of food trade associations at the Food Safety Charter presentation ceremony today (September 17).
The Controller of the Centre for Food Safety, Dr Constance Chan (third from right), with representatives of food trade associations after presenting them with Food Safety Charter certificates.
Member of the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Tommy Cheung, signs the Food Safety Charter 2009.
The Deputy Chairman of the Legislative Council Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Wong Yung-kan (left), presents a Food Safety Charter certificate to a food trade association representative.
The Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing (left), presents a Food Safety Charter certificate to a food trade association representative.
