Recently, the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) and the Health Bureau (SSM) held the “Sharing session on targeted food study and surveillance on beverages with short shelf life for the sector". The sector, producers and operators relevant to the sample tested establishments were invited to attend the session. During the session, the details of the report were explained and the knowledge and standards of food safety operation of beverages with short shelf life were introduced, so as to provide the local food sector with targeted practical advice. SSM representatives also gave advice on how to reduce the energy and sugar content of beverages and encouraged participation in “Restaurant─Alimentação Saudável" (“Restaurant─Healthy Eating") scheme, so as to help the sector provide healthy food and beverage choices for the public.
IAM reminded the sector that they should purchase hygienic and high quality food ingredients from reputable suppliers and keep the records of purchase and sale of goods or the relevant receipts, so as to facilitate the competent authorities' efforts to trace the source and flow of food when necessary and safeguard the interests of the sector and the public. The sector should plan in advance the needed amount of food ingredients and the amount of supply when they produce beverages with short shelf life and avoid preparing the food ingredients or beverages too early or in excessive amounts. The temperature and time of the cooking, cooling, storage, reheating and other stages in the food preparation process should be properly controlled, and the time the food is stored in the dangerous temperature zone (5℃ to 60℃) throughout the whole supply or transportation process should be minimised. The sector should also follow the “first in, first out" principle when selling the prepared beverages, and refrain from selling or supplying beverages if they have doubts with the hygiene condition and quality.
SSM also advised the sector to provide healthy food and beverage options for consumers, such as producing beverages in small sized packaging like 250 ml bottles, which contain 40% less energy and sugar content when compared to 400 ml of the same beverage. The sector can also produce low sugar or sugarless beverages to provide healthier options. SSM also encourages the sector to label beverages with no added sugar as “sugarless beverages". The sector can also procure beverages with different levels of sugar content: food establishments can lower production or purchase of beverages such as syrup, special mixed beverages, fruit and vegetable juice, bottled iced lemon tea, coffee and milk tea or sweet and sour beverages, and increase purchase of sugarless beverages.
Through the encouragement and promotion of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, SSM hopes that the staff and support of the sector and the compliance of the public can jointly realise the mission of “Healthy Macao". In recent years, SSM launched the “Restaurant─Alimentação Saudável" scheme with the aim to create a supportive environment for healthy eating and provide the public with more healthy food options, so that the public can enjoy nutritious and healthy food whether they are dining out or eating food delivery at home. The “Restaurant─Alimentação Saudável" scheme continuously recruits new businesses and the sector is welcome to take part in it. More details on the plan and the test results of the nutrient content of this targeted food study and surveillance are available on the “Alimentação Saudável" (“Healthy Eating") website (www.ssm.gov.mo/apps1/healthyeating/ch.aspx#clg14420). Meanwhile, the food sector can log onto the Food Safety Information website (www.foodsafety.gov.mo) to become a user of “E-mail updates" and timely receive local and international food safety updates, so as to ensure the food safety in Macao.
