In light of the recent public concern over substandard food products, the Consumer Council has reviewed the problem and issued a comprehensive six-point guide for consumers to guard against the risk of food poisoning and counterfeit foodstuffs.
Consumers are urged to always bear in mind these simple and practical steps in their daily purchase and consumption of food.
First, purchase food products from licensed and reliable shops. Every time you visit these shops, pay attention to the hygiene condition there.
Second, observation is most important. Carefully examine the food products to ascertain if they are mouldy or contaminated. If the products are prepackaged such that they cannot be examined onsite, consumers must retain the receipt and return them to the shop if the food, when opened, is found to be unfit for consumption.
Third, read the labelling carefully and pay special attention to the "best before date" or "use by date", as well as for signs of alteration on the labelling.
Fourth, note whether the package and labelling of a food product is identical as the one it used to be. This may help identify counterfeit food products.
Fifth, many prepackaged food products contain some amounts of food additives. To avoid excessively taking in food additives, consumers are advised to adopt a balanced diet.
Last but not least, consumers are advised to consult the results of food product testing conducted by the Consumer Council and the Government.
In addition, with temperature soaring, consumers are also urged to pay close attention to hygiene in the preparation of fresh fruit and fresh fruit juices.
A point of interest: Don't leave your fresh fruit cut and exposed to air or sunlight for too long a time. For that could substantially decrease the level of vitamin C in the fruit.
This vital advice - as fruit is vital for good health - from the Consumer Council was based on a recent study conducted by the Consumers' Association in the UK on vitamin C levels in prepared supermarket fruit and vegetables.
The study revealed that the vitamin C levels of four out of 13 samples were found to be less than half the typical textbook levels of vitamin C.
The message is clear and obvious: to obtain the maximum levels of vitamin C in fresh fruit, it makes good sense to best consume the fruit when freshly cut.
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