Food Safety Day 2026 highlights importance of hand hygiene for safeguarding food safety and public health
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department kicked off its Food Safety Day 2026 promotional campaign today (June 7). With "handwashing" as the core theme, a series of thematic short videos, social media posts, and posters, will be launched to highlight the importance of maintaining hand hygiene in preventing foodborne diseases, and to echo World Food Safety Day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Maintaining proper hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures for preventing foodborne diseases and safeguarding food safety. Unclean hands of food handlers may transfer harmful microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, from bacterial carriers or raw food to utensils, surfaces and ready-to-eat food.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Food handlers should wash their hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, as alcohol hand sanitisers work less effectively at removing grease, dirt and certain foodborne microorganisms. When washing hands, the rubbing process should last for at least 20 seconds. To prevent the spread of preventable infectious diseases, handwashing should be carried out before and after handling food, before putting on gloves and after removing them."
The spokesman also reminded food handlers to wash their hands whenever possibly contaminated, such as after touching the face, coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, smoking, and handling money, waste, mobile phones, chemicals or raw food ingredients, as well as after completing cleaning tasks.
Members of the public are also reminded that wearing gloves cannot replace proper handwashing. Food handlers and the public should maintain good personal hygiene practices and adopt appropriate hygiene measures when preparing food, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne diseases and curbing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.
For more information about Food Safety Day 2026, please visit the CFS website at www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_act/Food_Safety_Day_2026.html.
Photo source: he CFS website
Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly
To ensure the smooth conduct of the94th INTERPOL General Assemblyscheduled to be held in Hong Kong in late November this year, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), in collaboration with various government departments and relevant organisations, successfully carried out a comprehensive inter-departmental exercise last night (August 18), at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Victoria Harbour and the West Kowloon area.
The exercise covered a wide range of measures and arrangements, including simulating crowd flow management for approximately 1 000 delegates within the venue and their movement between the main and side event venues, command and coordination of sea and land transport, wireless network stress test, and contingency deployment plans for unexpected situations. These efforts aimed to ensure that every segment of the General Assembly would proceed efficiently and smoothly, while showcasing Hong Kong's capability and determination in hosting major international events.
The exercise also simulated a scenario in which terrorists rammed a vehicle into the venue and opened fire during the General Assembly, resulting in mass casualties. Concurrently, an evacuation was carried out at a neighbouring educational institution due to a separate incident. Various departments and organisations swiftly activated their emergency response mechanisms. The exercise comprehensively tested the coordination capabilities of relevant stakeholders across various key operational areas, including immediate tactical intervention, emergency response, triage and emergency medical treatment of casualties, handling of suspicious objects, and management of affected persons. By refining contingency protocols, the exercise further strengthened inter-departmental counter-terrorism readiness and incident response capabilities.
The exercise mobilised over 2 600 personnel from various government departments and relevant organisations, including the HKPF, the Fire Services Department, the Hospital Authority, the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (Management) Limited, and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority. The Commissioner of Police,Mr Chow Yat-ming, observed the exercise on site, and commended the professional performance and coordination of all participating units.
As an international metropolis, Hong Kong must maintain a high state of vigilance amidst the complex and volatile global terrorism landscape. Through this comprehensive exercise, various departments further refined collaboration and contingency protocols, making every effort to ensure meticulous preparations for the upcoming major international events.
Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Police conduct inter-departmental exercise to prepare for 94th INTERPOL General Assembly Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
