The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) said in a statement yesterday that during its regular food sampling inspection recently, an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in several dishes served by two local takeaways, “Sun Salad” and “Huaheli”, known in Chinese as “陽光沙律” and “花禾里酸菜魚”, on Rua de Marques de Oliveira and Avenida da Concórdia respectively.
According to the statement, the dishes in question are “Diced Beef Tenderloin Salad with Mango” and “Garlic Baked Scallop Salad” from “Sun Salad”, which were found to contain excessive Bacillus cereus, and “Preserved Egg with Cucumber”, “Mouthwatering Chicken” and “Boneless Chicken Feet” from “Huaheli”, which were found to contain excessive Listeria monocytogenes.
The statement said that the bureau immediately ordered the takeaways to stop selling the problematic products, adding that the bureau also closed the takeaways’ outlets for the deep cleaning and disinfection of their storage areas, cooking appliances and utensils, while requiring their employees to attend food hygiene courses.
According to the statement, people who eat 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 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.
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.
This photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the Diced Beef Tenderloin Salad with Mango found to contain excessive Bacillus cereus sold at a local takeaway.
