The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that during its regular food sampling inspection, an excessive amount of Listeria monocytogenes has been detected in the shredded chicken produced by a local deli, known in Chinese as 撕火雞 (See For Chicken) at its Toi San branch on Rua do Canal.
According to the statement, people who consume Listeria monocytopenia-contaminated products could develop symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The statement underlined that newborns, senior citizens and people with weak immune systems could suffer from serious complications or even die.
The statement noted that Listeria monocytogenes can survive and multiply in cold temperatures, but can be destroyed by “thorough heating”.
The statement said that the bureau immediately ordered the deli to stop selling the problematic product, adding that the bureau also suspended the business operation for deep cleaning and disinfection of the storage areas, cooking appliances and utensils, while requiring its employees to take courses to strengthen their knowledge of food hygiene.
The bureau promised to continue to follow up on the matter and said it would conduct a reinspection to ensure the deli’s food products are up to standard.
The bureau urged the catering 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.
The statement underlined that the elderly, pregnant women and people with weak immune systems should avoid eating cold dishes, sashimi, sushi, cheese, salad and other foods that have a high risk of being contaminated by Listeria monocytogenes.
Listeria monocytogenes is the species of pathogenic bacteria that causes the infection listeriosis, a bacterial infection.
This photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) on Friday shows the shredded chicken sold in a local deli that was found to contain excessive Listeria monocytogenes.
