Rae Woo, Author at Goody Feed

It's no surprise that Singaporeans love our raw fish, like the salmon slices in yusheng that we fight over with our families as a yearly affair during the Chinese New Year celebrations. However, some may still prefer to do without the delicacy, either because of a dislike for the taste and texture of it, or simply because of the safety concerns - it's raw fish, after all. As the season approaches once again, new guidelines have thus been put in place to ensure that everyone can enjoy it safely. New Hygiene Guidelines For Handling Raw Fish The authorities have developed a new set of hygiene practices in the handling of raw fish amidst this festive season for importers, food processors, transport operators, and restaurants to follow. Together with the food industry, the implementation of these guidelines are aimed to minimise the risks of bacterial and parasitic contamination in raw fish, which many will be enjoying with their yusheng in a few days. Source processing and the supply of raw fish, how it is packaged, labelled and transported as well as recommendations in regards to the storing and handling of it will be covered in the new guidelines. They are known as the Technical Reference 79, which were developed by the Enterprise Singapore (ESG) and the Singapore Standards Council, and are supported by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation's Standards Development Organisation and key industry players such as Sakae Group. Sounds like an AI, right? SFA deputy chief executive Tan Lee Kim commented on the high-risk status of ready-to-eat raw fish, for any possible pathogens and harmful organisms found in it cannot be killed due to the lack of a cooking process. "Consumers who choose to consume raw fish must be aware of the risks that are associated with it," he added, stressing that food safety is a "joint responsibility shared between the industry and consumers." Greater transparency and assurance of the safety of their food will be communicated to consumers through the new guidelines, said ESG director-general of quality and excellence Ms Choy Sauw Kook. So if you've always wanted to try raw fish but was always scared to, perhaps this will give you some comfort. Ms Lilian Foo, chief executive officer of Sakae Holdings, referred to the guidelines as a code of practice that "embodies the fundamentals of inculcating food safety in the production of ready-to-eat raw fish." She added that the manifestation of these guidelines were all thanks to the dedication and collaboration of all stakeholders involved. Lest you didn't know, there was actually a virus outbreak linked to the consumption of raw fish here in Singapore back in 2015. 360 people were infected with the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) bacterium and two had died, resulting in the ban of ready-to-eat freshwater fish sales here. Saltwater fish, like salmon, were not found to contain the bacteria. After the ban, infection rates did indeed drop, but it's still in place. However, last August, there was a spike of GBS cases, alerting the authorities to conduct checks. Although it was later found that the patients who contracted the infections did not visit food stalls that sold raw fish, it still prompted them to look into reviewing the guidelines. How To Handle Raw Fish At Home If you're a home-based chef who'll be preparing your own delicious yusheng at home, you're also advised to follow these new guidelines to ensure the safety of your food while handling it. - Firstly, you should always follow the instructions indicated on the package with regards to the handling and storage of such ready-to-eat raw fish. - You should not consume ready-to-eat raw fish that has already expired, and should dispose of it. - While you're out shopping for groceries and other goodies, you should only purchase perishables such as ready-to-eat raw fish on your last stop. - You should also keep ready-to-eat raw fish in insulated bags. - As soon as you can, you should store ready-to-eat raw fish in the chiller to maintain the temperature between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius. - Before preparing the frozen ready-to-eat raw fish, you should thaw it in the chiller section of the refrigerator first. - Maintain good hygiene by washing your hands, kitchen utensils and table-tops with water and detergent thoroughly, before and after processing ready-to-eat raw fish. - In order to prevent cross-contamination, you should always use different utensils and appliances for the preparation of ready-to-eat raw fish and cooked food. - The basic rules are to keep it clean; maintain the correct temperature in the chiller or freezer and not to refreeze it. Featured Image: hlphoto / Shutterstock.com