FEHD strives to ensure food safety of school lunch boxes (with photos)

     To ensure food safety and hygiene awareness among schools and licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes, and to cater for the new school year, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) stepped up inspections of licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes in various districts of Hong Kong and collected food samples for testing.

     A spokesman for the FEHD said today (October 9), "Since July, the Department has inspected 46 licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes and reminded operators of the proper way of handling school lunch boxes. At present, the CFS has collected 90 lunch box samples from those licensed food factories for microbiological examinations. Test results of all samples were satisfactory. The operation is ongoing."

     Furthermore, to safeguard food safety on campuses, the CFS has arranged a series of online seminars for schools since July, highlighting food safety hazards such as choking and food allergies, and emphasising the need for vigilance among teaching staff and food handlers in schools. At the same time, schools are also reminded to order lunch boxes from suppliers that hold a valid Food Factory Licence issued by the FEHD and are endorsed to provide lunch boxes. Before signing contracts with suppliers, schools should visit the premises to ensure that food handlers observe food safety and hygiene practices.

     The CFS has published "A Practical Guide for Ensuring Food Safety in Schools and Childcare Facilities", to which schools and childcare facilities can refer when choosing lunchbox suppliers and ensuring food safety on campus. Lunch box caterers can make use of the guideline "Developing a School Food Safety Plan Based on HACCP system (for School Lunch Box Caterers)" to learn more about how to enhance the safety of lunch box production. For further details, please visit the "Safe Food at School" thematic webpage (cfs.gov.hk/school).