FEHD steps up inspections at food premises
The Centre for Food Safety and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) continue to intensify joint inspections of food premises to safeguard food safety.
A spokesman for the FEHD said today (March 14), "The FEHD continues to step up inspections of food premises, including shops selling siu mei and lo mei. Special attention is being paid to food storage, preparation, and hygiene to ensure compliance with safety standards and relevant legislation. In the event of any breaches of food safety or health requirements, the FEHD will take stringent follow-up action. We have also strengthened communication with the trade, reminding food premises to adhere to Good Hygiene Practices and promoting food safety awareness."
The spokesman said the inspections cover the key aspects of food storage and preparation, including checking the compliance of food storage temperature to ensure that cold food is kept at or below 4 degrees Celsius while hot food is kept at or above 60 degrees C. Moreover, the inspections also aim to check if raw and cooked foods are separately stored and handled to prevent cross-contamination, if adequate liquid soap is provided, and to ensure food handlers maintain personal hygiene such as thorough hand washing before and after handling food to reduce the risk of food contamination.
Over the past week, the FEHD inspected about 3 600 food premises across the territory, carried out immediate rectifications, issued warnings and health advices, and initiated five prosecutions in total on aspects relevant to food storage, preparation and hygiene. The operations are ongoing.
The FEHD appeals to food businesses to follow Good Hygiene Practices and make reference to the following advice when preparing food:
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling food, and keep hands and utensils clean. Handwashing facilities should be equipped with adequate supply of liquid soap;
Store and handle raw and cooked foods separately to prevent cross-contamination;
Cook food thoroughly until the core temperature reaches at least 75 degrees C, and keep the cooked food at above 60 degrees C if not consumed immediately;
Pre-cooked food subjected to cold storage should be cooled from 60 degrees C to 20 degrees C within two hours, and from 20 degrees C to 4 degrees C inside a chiller within the next four hours;
Food handlers should report to their supervisor immediately and refrain from working if they feel sick;
When handling vomitus, wear gloves and apply 1:49 diluted household bleach (by adding one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite to 49 parts of water) to clean and disinfect contaminated areas or items thoroughly. Wash hands thoroughly afterwards; and
Provide food handlers with regular training on food safety, environment and personal hygiene.
FEHD steps up inspections at food premises Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
FEHD steps up inspections at food premises Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Enrolled Nurse (General) Training Programme for Welfare Sector 2026-27 invites applications
The Social Welfare Department (SWD) announced that the full-time Enrolled Nurse (General) Training Programme for the Welfare Sector 2026-27 is inviting applications starting today (January 12). The programme, which will last for two years, with a total of 427 places, aims to train students to become enrolled nurses to alleviate the shortage of nurses in the welfare sector and enhance the quality of care services.
In response to the keen demand for nurses in the welfare sector, the SWD has commissioned the Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Saint Francis University and the Tung Wah College to provide the Enrolled Nurse (General) Training Programme for the Welfare Sector for five consecutive years starting from the 2023-24 academic year.
An SWD spokesman said, "Applicants for the programme must be permanent Hong Kong residents with right of abode in Hong Kong and have attained the age of 18 by the time the training programme commences. They must also have attained Level2 or above in five subjects, including Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and any two other subjects in Categories A (Note) and B, in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination; or an equivalent qualification. Applicants are also required to take note of other entry requirements as specified by respective training institutes."
The spokesman added, "To encourage young people and frontline staff currently serving the welfare sector to upgrade their professional skills, priority will be accorded to applicants who have successfully completed the two-year Diploma Programme and obtained the diploma under the Navigation Scheme for Young Persons in Care Services launched in 2015 (or under the First-hire-then-train Pilot Scheme from 2013 to 2016) by the SWD; or those who are currently working full-time in non-governmental organisations (NGOs) or private organisations providing elderly, rehabilitation, family and child care, youth or correctional services. Individuals who aspire to pursue a career as enrolled nurses in the welfare sector are also welcome."
Tuition fees will be reimbursed to trainees in full on the condition that they have successfully completed the training programme and qualified to register as enrolled nurses within two years. Trainees will be required to sign an undertaking to work as an Enrolled Nurse (General) in NGOs or private organisations recognised by the SWD for providing elderly, rehabilitation, family and child care, or correctional services for a continuous period of no less than three years after completion of the training.
Information seminars on the training programme will be held by the three institutes starting from January. Details of the information seminars are set out in the table below:
Training institute |
Date and time of information seminar |
Website |
Enquiry number |
Hong Kong Metropolitan University |
2pm,
January 27 |
Programme content (Chinese only)
www.hkmu.edu.hk/nhs/tc/programmes-courses/nursing-and-health-studies/sub-degree-programmes/hdngf1_hdngosf1/
Application
admissions.hkmu.edu.hk/ug/online-application |
3970 2928 /
3970 2957 |
Saint Francis University |
3pm, February 6 |
Programme content
www.sfu.edu.hk/en/programmes/sub-degree-programmes/higher-diploma-in-enrolled-nursing-general-hden-swd/introduction/index.html
Application
onlineapplication.sfu.edu.hk/oa/admission/hdenswdForm |
3702 4388 |
Tung Wah College |
3.30pm, January 28 |
Programme content
www.twc.edu.hk/en/Programmes/hdn_swd
Application
www.twc.edu.hk/admission/ |
3190 6672 |
Applications will be closed at 5pm on March 2. For enquiries, please call the enquiry numbers of the training institutes.
Note: "Attained" in Citizenship and Social Development will be accepted as Level 2.
Source: AI-found images
