Dear colleagues and students,
The Mid-Autumn Festival is fast approaching. Various flavors and presentation of mooncakes are available in the market. Amongst all, snowy mooncakes have gained great popularity. Mooncakes with fillings of durian paste, diced mangoes, ice-cream, etc. are very tasty. However, unlike traditional mooncakes, snowy mooncakes are not subject to high-temperature baking after they are moulded. If they have been exposed to microbial contamination during the manufacturing process and are subsequently stored and transported at room temperature, microorganisms will multiply profusely. Consumption of spoiled mooncakes may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. Besides the hygiene requirement of raw ingredients and preparation, cold storage of snowy mooncakes is another decisive factor. It ought to be adopted throughout the production, transportation, wholesale, retail and storage. With the above decisive factors, here are some food safety advices:
- Buy snowy mooncakes from qualified retail shops which are fitted with refrigeration equipment;
- Upon purchase, check whether the snowy mooncakes are frozen and solid. Never buy those that are thawing or not kept under appropriate storage temperature;
- Pay attention to the expiry date and follow the storage instruction on the label;
- Keep the snowy mooncakes under refrigeration at 4℃ or below and ice-cream mooncakes at -18℃ or below promptly after purchase;
- Never leave the snowy mooncakes at room temperature for over 2 hours.
Last but not least, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!
Source: Department of Food Safety, Municipal Affairs Bureau, Government of Macao S.A.R.
https://www.foodsafety.gov.mo/e/sensetips/detail/693e366b-7faf-4f09-97be-70791d052465
If you would like to read more health tips, please visit the website of Office of Health, Safety and Environmental Affairs https://hseo.um.edu.mo/health-tips/
Office of Health, Safety and Environmental Affairs |