The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that Bacillus cereus was detected in soy milk samples taken from a local restaurant through regular food sampling conducted by the bureau.
According to the statement, the restaurant is “Beijing Dumplings” (北京水餃) located in Travessa do Aterro Novo, and the soy milk product in question was made by the restaurant itself was not distributed to other outlets.
In general, the consumption of foods containing excessive amounts of Bacillus cereus and its heat-resistant toxin may cause gastrointestinal discomfort, such as vomiting and diarrhoea, the statement pointed out.
The bureau has ordered the restaurant to stop making and selling the soy milk, and requested rectification of the production and sale process to safeguard food safety until the product meets the safety and hygiene requirements and passes the bureau’s review and reinspection, the statement said.
According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Ready-to-eat Food, the content of Bacillus cereus in the problematic soy milk was classified as Class C, meaning that the microbiological status of the food sample is unsatisfactory, the statement pointed out.
Meanwhile, the bureau has required the person in charge of the restaurant to arrange for the restaurant staff to attend the “Food Hygiene Supervision Course” and “Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene Basic Course” provided by the bureau, in order to strengthen their health awareness and in handling and preparing food, the statement said.
According to the statement, Bacillus cereus is a foodborne pathogen that is widely found in the natural environment. Bacillus cereus can produce toxins if food is prepared or stored improperly or unhygienically, such as for too long in an environment with unsuitable temperatures.
IAM calls on the food and beverage sector to comply with the government’s food safety guidelines and pay close attention to environmental and personal hygiene, as well as to ensure safe and reliable sourcing of food materials. It also urged the sector to pay more attention to the storage conditions of food after preparation, adding that raw goods and cooked food should be processed separately to avoid cross-contamination.
This photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the soy milk found to contain Bacillus cereus sold in a local restaurant.
