IAM organises a series of activities for World Food Safety Day to facilitate government-community cooperation in safeguarding food safety
The World Food Safety Day falls on 7 June annually and this year’s theme is “Food Standards Save Lives”. The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) will organise a series of food safety activities in response to the theme to help the food sector and the public establish a scientific and rational outlook on food safety and implement it in food production and daily life, so as to improve their ability to prevent food safety risks for safeguarding food safety together.
Food safety contributes to development of Creative City of Gastronomy
Due to the increasing number of tourists in Macao and the increasing demand for food and beverage consumption, IAM stepped up inspections of restaurants, takeaway shops, souvenir shops and other food supply and retail establishments in busy areas before the recent Easter and the “1 May Golden Week” to check potential food safety hazards. Since mid-May, IAM has sent staff to the businesses to carry out food safety publicity and assist frontline employees in the food and beverage sector in adopting food safety and hygiene measures, so as to further safeguard food safety and protect the health of residents and tourists.
On the occasion of the World Food Safety Day, IAM will hold a “Food Safety Exchange Session with Food Trade” in the morning of 12 June, inviting restaurants that are popular among residents and tourists and representatives of chambers of commerce in various districts, including middle and senior management and frontline personnel, to attend. The symposium aims to better analyse and summarise the food safety and hygiene risks found during inspections, and provide a platform for in-depth exchanges on the food safety situations in different establishments and procedures. In the afternoon of the same day, the “Experience Exchange Meeting on Food Safety Management in Hospitality Sector” will be held, inviting management representatives from the integrated leisure resorts in Macao to attend and share their experiences in food safety management, supply chain processes, etc., jointly laying a solid foundation for Macao’s development as a “Creative City of Gastronomy”.
Experts from Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao discuss on improvement of food safety standards and application of technology
To promote food safety exchanges between Macao, the Mainland and Hong Kong, and to deepen the understanding of food safety among relevant government departments, associations of the sector and the public in Macao, IAM will hold the “Experts Talks on 2023 World Food Safety Day and Food Safety” on 13 June, inviting food safety experts from the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to give dedicated talks on the integration process of the food markets in the Greater Bay Area, the implementation of food safety standards and regulations, and the application of technology, so as to promote the interconnection and intercommunication of food safety information in the Greater Bay Area as well as complementary cooperation among the departments.
Various activities to enhance public food safety awareness
IAM will also organise different types of activities targeting the general public for them to understand food safety correctly. Among them, the online quiz game “Know More about Food Safety Standards” will be held from 7 to 21 June, covering practical food safety information that is common in daily life. On 11 June, a dedicated talk on “Exploring the Secrets of Food Safety Standards” will be held, in which IAM staff will explain to the public how food safety standards are formulated and how they are related to our daily life. In addition, food safety publicity and education activities with interesting interactive games will be held in the community in mid-to-late June to teach the public to take care of their own food safety. For more details about the series of activities for the World Food Safety Day, please visit IAM’s Food Safety Information website at www.foodsafety.gov.mo.
