This newsletter includes:
- Safe Summer Eating at Home and Outdoors
- Update Test Application Form
- Free Trial and Promotion Coupon
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Food and regulation enquiry, Please contact:
May Leung
Tel：(852) 2606 7178
Fax：(852) 2310 2990
Mobile：(852) 9106 6761
Email: may.leung@chemlab.hk
CHEMICAL LABORATORY REGIONAL BRANCHES
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Address:
Room 2001-2, 20/F, Trendy Centre, 682-684 Castle Peak Road,
Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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Comprehensive Food Testing Services
• Microbiological analysis
• Chemical analysis
• Heavy Metals
• Organochlorine Pesticides Residues tests
• Preservatives and Additives
• Artificial Colouring
• Nutrition Labeling analysis (7+1)
• Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)
• Accelerated Shelf Life
• Food Safety testing – DNA detection
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Safe Summer Eating at Home and Outdoors
Doesn’t it feel great to be out on the beach enjoying the sea, the sand, and seafood? Or out on a sunny rooftop having a barbecue with your friends? These are the times when we enjoy food  alongside our outdoor fun. However, please remember that while we usually relax in the heat, microscopic bacteria are at work in our food. These bacteria are especially present in meat, animal products (such as eggs and dairy), as well as cooked vegetables, rice and pasta. The danger zone, between 4°C and 60°C, is where bacteria just loves to multiply, and if ingested, can potentially cause discomfort, involving regular bathroom trips and a mild fever. If you’re going to eat food that is raw or usually served cold, ensure that it stays below 4°C, and eat soon after taking it out of the fridge or cooler. For hot foods, cook to 75°C or above and keep them above 60°C to keep those bugs at bay. Remember this especially when camping or spending the day at the beach, where a fridge and cooker are not usually available.
There are two main forms of bacteria in food during the summer. Vibrio parahaemolyticus (VP), while symptomatically mild, is the main cause of food poisoning in Hong Kong. It exists in coastal waters, and is passed onto humans through raw or undercooked seafood.
Get your seafood (including sushi) from reliable sources. Rule of thumb - if a food outlet looks dodgy, it probably is. Another sea-borne germ is cholera, which is potentially more dangerous and not immediately noticeable. When eating out, the same rule applies. Make sure to wash pre-bagged salads as well. They can actually be a breeding ground for E. coli! If you choose to eat at home, remember to apply the five rules of food safety: choose wisely, clean properly (including your hands, your utensils, your kitchen, and your food), separate logically (keep raw and cooked apart), cook thoroughly (core temperature of 75°C or above) and know your temperatures; don’t keep cooked foods out for more than two hours and keep them above 60°C prior to serving, while storing any leftovers in a fridge below 4°C.
May your summer be full of sunshine, and may your summer foods be safe.
To ensure food safety, the World Health Organization has advised 5 key points to handle food. People should follow key points below all the times to protect yourself against foodborn illness.
1) Choose : Buy food in reliable licensed food premise. Avoid buying food that are bruised, moldy or damaged in any way.
2) Clean : Wash food clearly before consumption , especially fresh and raw food. And always keep our hands and utensils clean.
3) Separate: Prepare raw food separately from cooked food to prevent cross contamination. Storage of food in right way, especially raw and cooked food. Raw food should be stored in lower compartment of refrigerator to separate them from cooked food.
4) Cook: Cook food thoroughly before eating to kill almost all microorganisms.
5) Safety temperature: Food leftovers should be placed at or below 4 ℃ for storage. Reheat leftovers thoroughly before eating
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