Caterers ramp up food safety measures for festive season
Greater emphasis on food safety due to higher demand during festive season
When leaving cookies and milk out for Santa, take the cue from caterers and leave a sign for the "consume by" time.
As the festive season rolls around, two caterers told The New Paper that they are not taking any chances that food might go bad.
In light of the recent food poisoning cases, Neo Group and Four Seasons Group have stepped up checks and implemented strict measures.
The spokesman for Neo Group said it had been sending food samples for laboratory testing weekly during this period, and its food safety officers have also stepped up checks from twice to four times daily.
"Food safety has always been the top priority," she said.
"Each of our kitchens is assigned a qualified food safety officer who is in charge of upholding the food safety management system by conducting routine inspections and audits."
She added that the trend is for demand to rise by 5 per cent during this period.
Ms Joey Lee, the general manager of Four Seasons Group, said that demand for its catering services typically increases twofold during the festive season.
As the number of orders increases, so has the number of checks, she added.
"In working closely with our food hygiene officer, management has put in place stringent processes to maintain the group's strict stance on food safety and hygiene standards," said Ms Lee.
"Inspections are now done daily, as compared to weekly checks during normal operations."
The inspections include the checking of personal protection equipment, the cleanliness of the kitchen, and the health of the food handlers.
She said an immediate stop-work order is given the moment anyone is found to be ill.
The health authorities have also been conducting additional checks on food establishments by actively targeting those that provide catering services.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) said in a statement last week that these additional checks will be completed by year-end.
"Following the recent food poisoning incidents, the authorities will continue to place implicated premises under close surveillance and work with them to improve their food hygiene practices," the statement said.
"To further safeguard public health and strengthen our food safety regime, both NEA and AVA have been and will continue to progressively tighten the penalty regime for food hygiene offences, especially by food establishments involved in significant food poisoning incidents."
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