Is there a restaurant fined for it?, Why does someone suffer from shock after eating "cold salad cucumber"? It's a hot topic on the search for cold salad | cucumber | shock
Recently, "cold mixed cucumbers" have been a bit "hot": First, there were media reports that a 67 year old man in Hangzhou had septic shock after consuming a plate of cold mixed cucumbers that were refrigerated overnight. He was rescued and finally recovered; Then, the news that "a number of restaurants in Shanghai were punished for adding cucumber shreds in Liangpi" went on a hot search. Some netizens wondered whether they could not sell "Liangpi+cucumber shreds"?
In fact, the core of these topics is not cucumber, but the safety of cold and raw food. The main reason for the punishment of relevant catering enterprises is that "Liangpi+shredded cucumber" and "cold cucumber" belong to the cold food category, and the food safety requirements are high, so the corresponding business license is required. If a catering enterprise produces and sells such products without a license, it means illegal operation and will naturally be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law.
Not all restaurants can sell "cold cucumber salad"
Not all restaurants or food industry practitioners can produce and sell "cold cucumber".
This is not a recent regulation either. The "Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licenses" implemented in October 2015 and the "Measures for the Administration of Food Business Licenses in Shanghai" implemented in January 2019 both specify that operators must apply for business licenses based on the classification of food business projects. Among them, food business projects are divided into pre packaged food sales, bulk food sales, special food sales, and other types of food sales; Hot food production and sales, cold food production and sales, raw food production and sales, pastry production and sales, homemade drinks production and sales, and other food production and sales. Foods that are difficult to clearly classify due to various conditions such as heat, cold, raw, solid, and liquid are classified according to the highest food safety risk level.
Simply put, when applying for a business license, catering enterprises or food production enterprises need to apply for specific food business projects, and different projects correspond to different approval conditions. Taking cold and raw food as examples, the approval department will examine the facility layout and operating procedures of the catering enterprise to confirm whether the operator can obtain the corresponding qualifications.
"There are higher requirements for the production and sale of cold and raw foods because they have higher safety risks." Gu Zhenhua, President of the Shanghai Food Safety Work Federation, explained using cold cucumber as an example that although this dish does not need to be cooked over an open flame, the cucumber needs to be cut. There is a risk of microbial contamination during processes such as slicing and shredding. Moreover, after cutting cucumbers, microorganisms accelerate their growth, posing higher requirements for food storage. Therefore, the management of food business licenses has high requirements for the production and sale of cold and raw food, including the need for operators to set up dedicated areas, use specialized equipment, operate by dedicated personnel, and maintain specific temperatures, all in order to prevent pollution and reduce food safety risks.
A catering industry employee revealed that in Shanghai, if applying for a food business license, the approver will remind the applicant that the production and sale of cold and raw food require special zones and special hygiene requirements. If they cannot obtain the corresponding qualifications but produce and sell such food, it is illegal. In the face of the news that some peers were punished for "Liangpi and cucumber", some practitioners analyzed that the relevant enterprises either "knew the law and violated the law" or had a deviation in their understanding of laws and regulations. "Last year, there were similar cases in other provinces and cities, so we should take a warning."
The person in charge of a popular noodle shop also told reporters that summer has arrived, and many consumers hope they can make and sell cold noodles. However, due to their own operating room conditions, they do not have the ability to open a special area for cold food processing, so they have to politely refuse consumers' requests. "Food safety is no small matter. Operating within the scope of business is responsible to both consumers and oneself."
Summer consumption of cold dishes, safety first
As for consumers who suffer from illness due to consuming homemade cold cucumber, it is also due to the problem of microbial contamination in the processing and storage of related foods.
Gu Zhenhua reminds that with the arrival of summer, attention should be paid to the safety risks of cold and raw food. Consumers should pay attention to whether the relevant catering enterprises have the business qualifications for cold and raw food when dining out.
According to regulatory requirements, operators should demonstrate their business license, and consumers can check whether their specific business scope includes cold and raw food products through the operator's publicly available food business license.
Consumers can also pay attention to the business environment of operators. In small restaurants that do not have the conditions for separate processing of raw and cooked food, it is not recommended to consume cold or raw food. This type of catering enterprise is likely to be suspected of exceeding the scope of production and sales.
The Implementation Measures for the Administration of Food Business License in Shanghai also specify that some food producers and operators are not allowed to engage in the production and sale of cold and raw food products. For example, delivery units for group meals cannot make raw mixed vegetables, cooked food with knives, raw aquatic products, or decorated cakes; Canteens in primary and secondary schools and daycare institutions are not allowed to produce cold food such as meat and cold dishes, as well as raw food; Internet food operators without physical stores shall not produce or sell cooked food in bulk. So, if consumers find that such food operators sell cold or raw food, they can file a complaint and report.
In addition, citizens should also pay attention to hygiene when making cold and raw food dishes at home. There are three basic points: first, do a good job of personal hygiene, clean your hands before making dishes. The second is to separate the cutting tools and cutting boards for processing raw and cooked ingredients. For cold mixed cucumbers, salads, and other dishes that are directly consumed, special knives and cutting boards should be used to separate them from ingredients that require high-temperature cooking. Thirdly, use fresh ingredients, consume them promptly after processing, and do not put them on the next meal. Cold and raw food products are particularly susceptible to the growth of pathogenic microorganisms at room temperature in summer. The refrigerator is not a safe either, and unfinished food in the refrigerator may suffer from secondary pollution, increasing the risk of illness.
