Ice cream cone sellers could give their customers food poisoning unless they improve their food safety practices, the Food Safety Authority said yesterday.
The authority said while it had few concerns about pre-packaged ice cream products, it was worried about the safety of soft and whipped ice cream being sold from stalls, shop counters and vans.
Chief food science specialist Dr Wayne Anderson warned that ice cream sellers with poor hygiene and handling methods could spread bacteria and put their customers at risk of food poisoning.
"It is, therefore, vital that we advise food handlers and food-business owners and managers nationwide to ensure that the necessary food hygiene practices are in place when serving soft-serve ice cream in order to protect consumer health," he said.
Ice cream vendors can spread bacteria through inadequate hand-washing, using dirty machines and equipment, using utensils which have not been cleaned properly before use and using unclean dish cloths or serving cloths.
The food authority is calling on ice cream vendors to take a number of personal precautions including wearing clean protective clothing.