Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ20: Restaurants staff handle food and cashier's work at the same time
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Lui Ming-wah and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr Yeoh Eng-kiong, in the Legislative Council today (May 28):
Question :
I have received complaints from members of the public that many staff of food establishments handle food (such as cooking and serving food to customers) and work as cashiers at the same time. Their hands will be contaminated by bacteria when handling notes and coins, and in turn contaminate the food. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether existing legislation requires persons in charge of food establishments to arrange for different staff to handle food and work as cashiers; if not, of the reasons for that, and whether it has plans to legislate in this regard; if it has no such plans, the justifications for that ?
Reply :
Under Section 22(a) of the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132 sub. leg.), a person engaged in the handling of food in a food business is required to keep all parts of his body which may come into contact with food as clean as practicable. Failure to comply with the provision is an offence. The maximum penalty is a fine of $10,000 and imprisonment of 3 months.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has also imposed licensing requirements and conditions on food premises to prevent food contamination due to improper handling. For example, for fast food restaurants where cash registers are installed at a counter within the food preparation area, licensees are required to deploy different staff for food preparation and cashier duties. Repeated non-compliance with these licensing requirements/conditions may lead to suspension or cancellation of licences.
In 2002, 77 verbal warnings were given to food business licensees for breaching the above legislation and licensing requirements/conditions. The irregularities in these cases have all been rectified.
End/Wednesday, May 28, 2003
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