Food blogs: treats or
threats?
DO NOT buy food from online food
blogs. The convenience of buying online isn't worth it when it
comes to personal safety.
The National Environment Agency (NEA) says the levels of hygiene
maintained by blog sellers are "questionable".
Most of these popular blogs - many of them peddling dessert items
like chocolates, cupcakes and other pastries that may contain
uncooked butter cream - do not have the required NEA licence to
prepare and sell food.
Last year, the NEA warned two such blog owners and made them remove
all mention of their wares from their blogs.
Businesses that want to sell food must satisfy several criteria,
such as typhoid inoculation for all food handlers, and have
premises with the facilities for food preparation.
It is also illegal to sell home-cooked food to the public.
A spokesman said: "NEA takes a serious view of such unlicenced food
sales as the conditions under which the food is prepared are
questionable, and NEA will not hesitate to take enforcement actions
against such individuals.
"What's more important is whether the product is safe, said veteran
food writer Sylvia Tan.
"Prima Deli was a licensed food handler, and even then, people got
sick," she said.
Recently, over 100 people came down with food poisoning after
eating chocolate cakes from Prima Deli bakery outlets.
Ms Tan advised my paper readers to be careful of where they
purchase their goodies.
"Home sales have been going on for the longest time. Everyone knows
someone who sells cookies or tarts. Personal recommendations are
very important," she said.
source: http://business.asiaone.com/Business/SME%2BCentral/eBiz%2BHub/Story/A1Story20080109-44271.html