How to Eliminate or Prevent the Food Poisoning Outbreak Happened in That Food Premise?
In 9th August 2009, ten guests felt uncomfortable after having buffet dinner in Regal Kowloon Hotel. This was the second food poisoning outbreak related to hotel’s buffet in that week. Food poisoning in hotel’s buffet should not be new to you as it happens occasionally. But do you know why it is so common? And what safety practises can be done to reduce the potential harm on buffets’ customers?
From the news, we know that both hotels suffered in food poisonings provided high-risk food such as oysters. It is really important to ensure the food safety of these high-risk foods from the stage of purchasing to storing and serving. Otherwise, the guests will be in dangerous situation. Also, offering wide variety of food for the customers including ready-to-eat foods such as fried rice and uncooked food such as raw meat may result in cross-contaminatin. Cross-contamination can be occurred easily when cooked foods contaminated by the uncooked foods. Moreover, person to food product contamination may probably happen. Buffet is a serving meal system, in which food is placed in public area and guests normally serve themselves. Guests can get the dishes through the sideboards or display boards. As everyone can get in touch with the food and food containers, there is a high risk of contamination of food by customers when they pick up their food. These are all possible reasons leading to the outbreak of food poisoning in Regal Kowloon Hotel. Based on the foregoing causes, some tactics can be used to eliminate or prevent the food poisoning outbreak in the future. First of all, when the person in charge of purchasing of a restaurant is buying high-risk foods likes pre-prepared sushi, sashimi and oysters, he/she need to make sure the foods are supplied from licensed food factories or other approved sources. A reputable and reliable food supplier should have a supplier certificate which is required for inspection on demand by inspecting officers of Food and Environmental
From the news, we know that both hotels suffered in food poisonings provided high-risk food such as oysters. It is really important to ensure the food safety of these high-risk foods from the stage of purchasing to storing and serving. Otherwise, the guests will be in dangerous situation. Also, offering wide variety of food for the customers including ready-to-eat foods such as fried rice and uncooked food such as raw meat may result in cross-contaminatin. Cross-contamination can be occurred easily when cooked foods contaminated by the uncooked foods. Moreover, person to food product contamination may probably happen. Buffet is a serving meal system, in which food is placed in public area and guests normally serve themselves. Guests can get the dishes through the sideboards or display boards. As everyone can get in touch with the food and food containers, there is a high risk of contamination of food by customers when they pick up their food. These are all possible reasons leading to the outbreak of food poisoning in Regal Kowloon Hotel. Based on the foregoing causes, some tactics can be used to eliminate or prevent the food poisoning outbreak in the future. First of all, when the person in charge of purchasing of a restaurant is buying high-risk foods likes pre-prepared sushi, sashimi and oysters, he/she need to make sure the foods are supplied from licensed food factories or other approved sources. A reputable and reliable food supplier should have a supplier certificate which is required for inspection on demand by inspecting officers of Food and Environmental