CFS announces risk assessment study results on microbiological quality of packaged rice balls
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 30) announced the results of a risk assessment study on the microbiological quality of packaged rice balls. All samples were compliant with the microbiological food safety criteria for pathogenic bacteria (i.e. Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus). The overall result was satisfactory.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Rice balls in convenient packages can facilitate consumers to consume them on-the-go and has thus gained in popularity. The CFS conducted a study and collected 63 pairs of samples of packaged rice balls from four takeaway chains and five supermarket chains or convenience store chains in different regions of Hong Kong between February and March this year. The change in microbiological quality after leaving the samples concerned under ambient conditions for a period of time was assessed against the criteria stipulated in Microbiological Guidelines for Food."
The study results showed that the overall microbiological quality of the samples was satisfactory. Only one rice ball sample with braised salmon was detected to have an excessive level of E. coli, resulting in an unsatisfactory rating for hygienic quality, but there was no food safety concern. This indicated that there may be room for improvement in the food manufacturing and handling processes. The CFS has provided advice on the food preparatory process to the concerned manufacturer. A follow-up sample was taken, and the result was satisfactory.
Furthermore, regarding the change in microbiological quality of packaged rice balls after leaving the samples concerned under ambient conditions for a period of time, among the 58 samples to which the aerobic colony count (ACC) criterion was applicable, only one sample kept at ambient conditions after purchase for four hours was found to be borderline for ACC, while all the others were found to be satisfactory. However, three of these samples had an ACC more than 10 times higher than the control samples that were refrigerated at 4°C or below immediately after purchase. The ACC is an indicator of quality rather than safety and hence does not indicate a food safety concern. Nevertheless, the ACC can provide useful information about the general quality and remaining shelf life of the food.
The food trade should follow Good Hygiene Practices at all times and consider the advice below regarding the safe handling of packaged rice balls:
Food handlers should receive proper training to prepare rice balls properly and prevent contamination of rice balls;
The preparation areas for raw food should be separated from areas for handling ready-to-eat foodas far as possible to minimise potential cross-contamination;
The schedule or sequence of rice ball preparation should be planned to avoid leaving perishable/ready-to-eat ingredients under ambient conditions for too long;
In general, rice balls intended to be displayed for a prolonged period should be refrigerated after preparation;
Control measures for limiting microbial growth so that the rice balls canbe kept at temperatures above 4ºC for a certain period of time should be validated; and
Recommendations on storage conditions should be provided for the safe handling of rice balls by consumers.
Members of the public are also reminded to take heed of the following recommendations to ensure the food safety of packaged rice balls:
Consume rice balls as soon as possible after purchase;
For packaged rice balls, follow the storage instructions available on the packaging and consume them before the use-by date;
Refrigerate packaged rice balls at 4°C or below if they are not to be consumed immediately.
The study is available on the CFS's website at www.cfs.gov.hk.
Special traffic and transport arrangements for triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts from this Friday to Sunday
The Transport Department (TD) today (April 3) reminded members of the public that the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases from this Friday to Sunday (April 4 to 6) to facilitate the holding of the triathlon event in Central and Wan Chai districts.
1. Road closures
From 10am on Friday (April 4) to about 6pm on Sunday (April 6), the section of Expo Drive between Legislative Council Road and Expo Drive Central will be temporarily closed; and
From 1am to about 2pm on Saturday (April 5) and from 1am to about 6pm on Sunday (April 6), road closure and diversion measures will be implemented in the vicinities of the Central Harbourfront and Wan Chai North (Yiu Sing Street, Lung Wo Road, Lung Hop Street, Lung Tat Path, etc). The slip road of eastbound Central-Wan Chai Bypass Tunnel from Wan Chai heading to North Point will also be temporarily closed during the above period.
2. Public transport arrangements
To tie in with the road closure arrangements in the vicinity of Central Harbourfront, the departures of cross-harbour bus route nos. H1S and H2 heading to Central will be temporarily diverted to operate via Connaught Road Central in the following time periods until the closed road is reopened to traffic:
from the first departure on Saturday (April 5) to about 2pm; and
from the first departure on Sunday (April 6) to about 6pm.
During the road closure in Central Harbourfront, the bus stop on Man Yiu Street near Two International Finance Centre will be temporarily suspended.
Members of the public are advised to make use of public transport services as far as possible to avoid traffic congestion and unnecessary delays. During the event, the TD and the Police will closely monitor the traffic situation. The Police may adjust the traffic arrangements subject to the prevailing crowd and traffic conditions in the areas. Members of the public should pay attention to the latest traffic news through radio, television or the "HKeMobility" mobile application.
For details of the special traffic and public transport arrangements, members of the public may visit the TD website (www.td.gov.hk), its mobile application "HKeMobility" or passenger notices issued by the relevant public transport operators.
