XN000022-1994-06-27 — Page 10

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1994

FOOD SURVEILLANCE FIGURES FOR FIRST QUARTER

THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS CARRIED OUT 11,085 EXAMINATIONS FOR BACTERIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL AND RADIOACTIVITY TESTS UNDER ITS REGULAR FOOD SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.

THE PROGRAMME IS CONDUCTED BY THE HYGIENE DIVISION ΤΟ ENSURE THAT FOOD SUPPLIED TO THE COMMUNITY TS WHOLESOME, UNADULTERATED, UNCONTAMINATED, PROPERLY LABELLED AND OF NUTRITIOUS QUALITY.

AMONG 8,014 EXAMINATIONS FOR CHEMICAL ANALYSIS, 7.891 WERE SATISFACTORY WHILE 123 OR 1.5 PER CENT WERE UNSATISFACTORY.

THE UNSATISFACTORY CASES WERE MAINLY DUE TO FOOD CONTAINING NON-PERMITTED OR EXCESSIVE FOOD ADDITIVES SUCH AS ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS AND PRESERVATIVES, AND SEAFOOD CONTAINING HIGHER LEVEL HEAVY MRTALS.

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BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS SHOWED THAT OUT OF THE 2,783 SAMPLES TAKEN, 2,654 WERE SATISFACTORY WHILE 129 SAMPLES OR 4.6 PER CENT WERE UNSATISFACTORY.

MOST OF THE UNSATISFACTORY CASES WERE ATTRIBUTED то HIGH BACTERIAL AND FAECAL COLIFORM COUNT IN SHELLFISH AND MEAT PRODUCTS.

ON THE MONITORING OF RADIOACTIVITY IN FOOD, ALL OF THE 288 SAMPLES TAKEN WERE SATISFACTORY.

THE DIVISION CARRIED OUT 52 PROSECUTIONS AND ISSUED 87 WARNING LETTERS DURING THE PERIOD. AMONG THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS, 29 WARNING LETTERS AND SIX PROSECUTIONS AROSE FROM THE CHECKING OF 4,172 LABELS FOR PRE-PACKAGED FOOD.

IN THE SAME PERIOD, THE DIVISION INSPECTED 2,811,379 KILOGRAMS IMPORTED MEAT AND 3,056,687 KILOGRAMS OF IMPORTED POULTRY IN 568 INSPECTIONS.

OF

A TOTAL OF 114,601 KILOGRAMS OF FOOD WERE FOUND UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION AND WERE DESTROYED.

DURING THE PERIOD, THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED 80 REPORTS OF FOOD POISONING CASES, AFFECTING 229 PERSONS.

INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT 73 CASES WERE DOMESTIC OUTBREAKS AND SEVEN FOOD-PREMISES OUTBREAKS, AMONG THESE CASES, 17 WERE DUE TO SEAFOOD POISONING, OF WHICH 14 WERE RELATED TO PARALYTIC SHELLFISH POISONING.

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