All 470 samples of Lunar New Year food collected under a seasonal surveillance project have passed Centre for Food Safety tests.
The centre collected steamed puddings, fried dumplings, candied fruit and vegetables, glutinous rice balls, seeds, dried vegetables, dried aquatic products and Chinese preserved meat for microbiological and chemical tests.
The chemical tests targeted preservatives, colouring matters, antioxidants, metallic contaminants and toxins, while the microbiological tests covered different food poisoning pathogens, such as Staphylococcus aureus.
Despite the 100% pass rate, the centre advised consumers to buy festive food from reliable retailers with good hygiene conditions; make sure the packaging of prepackaged cakes and snacks is intact and the products have not expired; refer to the nutrition information on labels for healthier food choices; and, pay attention to the hygiene conditions of food containers and the personal hygiene of staff when buying non-packaged food.
