A hygiene spot check of 81 types of iced beverages resulted in 22 failing the first examination, and seven failing a re-examination, the Taipei City Government’s Department of Health said yesterday.
As summer is the peak season for buying iced hand-shaken drinks, the department recently conducted a second random inspection on the hygiene and quality of these products, it said.
It tested 81 products: 26 shaved ice, slush or ice smoothies; 10 edible ice cubes; 34 iced drinks; and 11 drinks toppings.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Department of Health
The inspection resulted in 22 items — or 27.2 percent — failing the first examination, and seven items — or 8.6 percent — failing the second examination, it said, adding that the seven items were found with Enterobacteriaceae levels exceeding the limit of 10 colony-forming units per milliliter.
Enterobacteriaceae are a family of bacteria, and are measured to indicate the microbiological quality and hygiene of food.
If the Enterobacteriaceae count exceeds the limit, the food could have been contaminated during the production process, or the personal hygiene of those handling the ingredients or food containers might be lacking, health department official Huang Ching-yao (黃敬堯) said, adding that keeping food at room temperature can increase bacterial growth.
The items that failed the second examination were Journey Kaffe Yang Guan Branch’s apple and berry slush, and chocolate and banana slush; TKK Fried Chicken Zhongxiao Dunhua Branch’s black tea slush; JLD Dragon Shihpai Branch’s Alishan oolong tea; Ro Do Do Hot Pot Chongqing S Road Branch’s Hokkaido milk flavored ice cream; Sun Woo Tea’s Harayama green tea; and Taro Boba Tianjin Branch’s jasmine green tea, the department said.
As the companies with items that failed the first examination were given time to make improvements, those that failed the second examination would face a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$3 million (US$975 to US$97,548) according to the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation (食品安全衛生管理法), Huang said.
Restaurants should pay attention to food production and workplace hygiene, and should provide regular health exams for employees, request them to disinfect their hands, ensure wounds are bandaged properly and waterproof gloves are worn while handling food, he said.
Food should be stored in a refrigerator and the filters of water dispensers and icemakers should be changed regularly, he added.
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