FOOD HYGIENE EDUCATION PROGRAMME

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng asked the Minister for the Environment, with more people eating out, more tourists and the introduction of full-day schools, what plans his Ministry has to provide greater guidance and more effective education for food handlers at hawker centres, restaurants and hotels in order to further improve food quality and hygiene.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for the Environment (Mr Chor Yeok Eng) (for the Minister for the Environment): ( In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, last year my Ministry conducted an intensive food hygiene education programme for food handlers in the hawker centres, restaurants, coffee shops, school canteens and other food establishments. We handed out educational pamphlets in all four official languages explaining the dos and don'ts of food preparation and storage. Talks were also organized for food handlers in hotel catering schools, restaurants and other food establishments.

After the educational programme, we observed that the number of food handling offences dropped significantly from an average of 55 a week to less than 20 a week. This showed that our food handlers have been made aware of proper food hygiene practices.

The Ministry takes a serious view of food handlers who disregard proper food hygiene. Offenders will be prosecuted and they stand the risk of having their licences suspended.

Last year, we took 5,246 food samples for analysis and prosecuted 552 food handlers for selling contaminated food.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng (Mountbatten): Mr Speaker, Sir, can the Senior Parliamentary Secretary explain further? With the introduction of full-day schools and with more tourists coming into Singapore, what plans does his Ministry have to provide greater guidance and more effective education for food handlers at hawker centres, etc. to improve the quality of food sold?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: ( In Mandarin): Sir, I have already answered the question asked by the hon. Member as to what we did last year. If he wants to know about future action to be taken to improve food quality and hygiene in view of full-day schools, the increasing number of tourists and so on, what I can tell him now is that we will take further action to carry out the promotion of food hygiene, among other things. This year we will perhaps organize another educational campaign on hygienic food handling and storage.

Mr Eugene Yap Giau Cheng: Sir, with the introduction of full-day schools, has the Ministry plans to study the nutritional aspect of food sold in school tuckshops?

Mr Chor Yeok Eng: ( In Mandarin): Sir, the Member has asked about the food quality and hygiene in school tuckshops as a result of the introduction of full-day schools. We are responsible for the licensing of food handlers in the tuckshops. As regards the management and supervision of such food handlers, that is the responsibility of the School Tuckshop Management Committee. If the School Tuckshop Management Committee feels that the stall holders are not able to maintain proper standards of food quality and hygiene, and complain to us, then we will take the necessary action.