XN000022-1994-10-03 — Page 5

MONDAY, OCTOBER 3, 1994

FOOD SURVEILLANCE FIGURES FOR SECOND QUARTER

* * *

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAS CARRIED OUT 11,850 THE

TESTS FOR

AND RADIOACTIVITY BACTERIOLOGICAL, CHEMICAL, REGULAR FOOD SURVEILLANCE PROGRAMME DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF YEAR.

EXAMINATIONS

UNDER

ITS THIS

THAT

THE PROGRAMME IS CONDUCTED BY THE HYGIENE DIVISION TO

IS FOOD SUPPLIED TO THE COMMUNITY UNCONTAMINATED, PROPERLY LABELLED AND OF NUTRITIOUS QUALITY,

MONITOR

WHOLESOME,

UNADULTERATED,

AMONG

8,546

EXAMINATIONS FOR CHEMICAL

8,433

WERE

ANALYSIS, SATISFACTORY WHILE 113 OR 1.3 PER CENT WERE UNSATISFACTORY.

THE UNSATISFACTORY CASES WERE MAINLY DUE TO FOOD CONTAINING

COLOURING OR EXCESSIVE FOOD ADDITIVES SUCH AS NON-PERMITTED

MATTERS AND PRESERVATIVES; AND SEAFOOD CONTAINING HIGHER LEVEL OF BIOTOXIN.

THE TRADERS HAD BEEN REMINDED OF NEW DEVELOPMENTS ON THE USE OF COLOURING MATTERS AND PRESERVATIVES.

LEGISLATION ANY FOOD PRODUCTS NOT CONFORMED TO THE LOCAL FOOD

THEY ARE EITHER WILL BE REQUIRED TO BE WITHDRAWN FROM THE MARKET. RETURNED TO THE COUNTRY OF ORIGIN OR SURRENDERED FOR DESTRUCTION.

3,115 4.4 PER

BACTERIOLOGICAL EXAMINATIONS ALSO SHOWED THAT OUT OF THE SAMPLES TAKEN, 2,978 WERE SATISFACTORY WHILE 137 SAMPLES OR CENT WERE UNSATISFACTORY.

MOST

THE 137 SAMPLES WERE ICE CREAM, SHELLFISH, OF MEAT PRODUCTS WITH HIGH BACTERIAL AND FAECAL COLIFORM COUNTS.

FISH

AND

HEALTH ADVICE ON FOOD HYGIENE WAS CONVEYED TO THE MANUFACTURERS AND RETAILERS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE SAMPLES. THEY WERE ALSO THAT CONTINUAL SALE OF BACTERIOLOGICAL SUBSTANDARD FOOD WOULD IN PROSECUTION.

WARNED RESULT

ON THE MONITORING OF RADIOACTIVITY IN FOOD, ALL THE 189 SAMPLES TAKEN WERE SATISFACTORY.

125 WARNING

TAKEN,

THE DIVISION TOOK OUT 47 PROSECUTIONS AND ISSUED LETTERS DURING THE PERIOD. AMONG THE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS ONE

AND 36 WARNING LETTERS AROSE FROM PROSECUTION 3,844 LABELS FOR PRE-PACKAGED FOOD.

THE CHECKING OF

IN THE SAME PERIOD, THE DIVISION INSPECTED 1,508,799 IMPORTED MEAT AND 2,778,863 KILOGRAMS OF IMPORTED POULTRY INSPECTIONS.

OF

A TOTAL OF 182,586 KILOGRAMS OF MEAT AND POULTRY UNFIT FOR CONSUMPTION AND WERE DESTROYED,

KILOGRAMS IN 626

WERE FOUND

FOOD

DURING THE PERIOD, THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVED 65 REPORTS OF POISONING CASES, AFFECTING 259 PERSONS. INVESTIGATIONS SHOWED THAT 45 CASES WERE DOMESTIC OUTBREAKS AND 20 FOOD-PREMISES OUTBREAKS. THESE

28 CASES,

WERE DUE TO BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION, VEGETABLE POISONING AND 15 CASES WERE PESTICIDE-TAINTED CONSUMPTION OF SEAFOOD CONTAMINATED WITH BIOTOXIN,

AMONG

15

WERE

DUE

TO

/FOOD POISONING