A statement by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday stated that it had received a report from the Health Bureau (SSM) on Monday about 23 customers who after having various dishes containing omurice (aka omu-rice) at the “Hei Dim” restaurant, one of the eateries at the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) on Avenida Wai Long in Taipa felt discomfort and came down with gastroenteritis.
According to Wikipedia, omurice is a Japanese dish consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and thin, fried scrambled eggs, usually topped with ketchup.
The statement quoted the Health Bureau as noting that the 23 patients are the MUST students who had eaten various dishes containing omurice such as pork chop and fish at the restaurant on Saturday and Sunday, gradually came down with symptoms, such as fever, vomiting and diarrhoea.
The statement said that according to an epidemiological investigation conducted by the Health Bureau, based on the patients’ eating records, incubation period and symptoms, the statement said, the case was possibly caused by a bacterial pathogen.
After receiving the report, the statement noted, IAM officials were immediately dispatched to inspect the restaurant and take food samples for examination, adding that the food was poorly stored, with cooked ready prepared food left at room temperature and not properly covered. The statement also said that the temperature of some refrigerators does not meet the food safety requirements.
The statement underlined that the bureau has ordered the restaurant’s employees to carry out deep cleaning and disinfection of areas for food preparation, storage facilities and appliances, while reviewing and rectifying the food storage environment. At the same time, the statement added, the employees are required to attend food and hygiene courses, in order to strengthen their awareness of food and personal hygiene.
The bureau urged the catering sector to abide by the food hygiene and safety requirements by paying close attention to environmental and personal hygiene, ensuring the food is in safe storage, and raw and cooked food handled properly, in order to avoid cross-contamination.
This undated file photo taken from the Macau University of Science and Technology’s (MUST) website yesterday shows the “Food Studio”, which is one of the restaurants at the MUST in Taipa.
