• Vulnerable groups like the young, elderly, pregnant women, and immuno-compromised people are strongly urged not to consume raw oysters, siu-mei and lo-mei as they are most likely to suffer from more severe diseases arising from the inflections caused by Norwalk-like virus and Listeria monocytogenes.
• Consumers should cook thoroughly all food, in particular shellfish before consumption. If vegetables are taken fresh or for preparation of salad, they must be thoroughly washed, and kept well-covered in a refrigerator at 4℃. Hands should be washed thoroughly with plenty of soap and clean water after using toilet and before handling food or eating.
• People handling siu-mei and lo-mei at home should remain vigilant in maintaining good environmental, food and personal hygiene, as improper cooking, storage and handling could encourage breeding of pathogens.
• To reduce food poisoning by pesticide-contaminated vegetables, people should soak all vegetables in clean water for an hour to allow pesticide to leach out and then rinse well; or use boiling water to blanch the vegetables for one minute. Water used for blanching should be discarded. Cook vegetables thoroughly afterwards before consumption.