The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that during a regular food sampling inspection, it recently found that a ramen restaurant, identified by its Chinese name 味尊 and located in Travessa de Maria Lucinda, the salmon sashimi rice bowl and flatfish sashimi tested positive for an excessive amount of Listeria monocytogenes, which could lead to diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting or gastroenteritis.
According to the statement, the bureau immediately told the eatery to stop selling the products and requested employees to improve the storage area. The bureau also asked its staff to take courses to strengthen their knowledge of personal and food hygiene. The bureau promised to continue to follow up on the matter and said it would return to the restaurant to ensure its food products are up to standard.
The statement noted that Listeria monocytogenes can survive and multiply in cold temperatures but can be killed with heat. The statement said that after eating Listeria monocytogenes-contaminated products, one could experience symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The statement also said that new-borns, senior citizens and people with weak immunity could suffer from serious complications after eating products with excessive Listeria monocytogenes.
The statement said that in order to lower the risk of food poisoning, the bureau is urging eateries to comply with the government’s food safety guidelines and pay attention to environmental and personal hygiene. The statement also pointed out that cooked and raw goods need to be processed separately to avoid cross-contamination. The statement also said that that pregnant women, senior citizens and people with weak immunity systems should not eat sashimi, sushi, cheese or salads that have a high risk of being contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes.
