Food Safety - Are we ready? Is it neccesary?

[KKC007]

NEA's requirement for food safety is terribly low. That is the cause of the rojak food poisoning.

However, are Singaporeans ready for enforcement of a higher food safety level? Is it even neccesary?

One of the simplest principle of food safety is: cooked food must be stored either below 4 (I think, basically must be in fridge) degrees celcius or above 60 (I think) degrees celcius.

Next time you guys eat at a food court or hawker centre, look around and imagine how this requirement will affect the food operators and the food we eat.

 

[KKC007]

NEA's requirement for food safety is terribly low. That is the cause of the rojak food poisoning.

However, are Singaporeans ready for enforcement of a higher food safety level? Is it even neccesary?

One of the simplest principle of food safety is: cooked food must be stored either below 4 (I think, basically must be in fridge) degrees celcius or above 60 (I think) degrees celcius.

Next time you guys eat at a food court or hawker centre, look around and imagine how this requirement will affect the food operators and the food we eat.

Following my post. Sunday Times run an article on food safety. Unfortunately, I cannot seem to find the article on the web now.

The article claims the danger zone for cooked food is between 40 and 60 deg celcius. My understanding is 4 and 60 deg cel. Anyone here can help verify?

Anyways, the following are my observations on the failures of this 1 food safety requirement:

1. Chicken Rice - stored at room temperature
2. Roast meat - stored at room temperature
3. Mixed vegetable rice - some items stored in food warmer, some at room temp
4. Bak Chor Mee / Fish ball noodle - bak chor, fish ball, fish cake stored at room temp
5. Delifrance - pastry stored at room temperature
6. Murtabak / Roti John - mutton stored at room temperature

Seriously, the hawkers have been keeping cooked food at room temperature all these years. This makes me wonder how useful the food safety guides really are.