Busan City is thoroughly managing hygiene and safety at food and beverage establishments and accommodations to ensure the successful hosting of the '2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships (2.16?2.25)'.
Preliminary inspection of hygiene and safety management conditions at the competition venue and nearby designated accommodation restaurants.
The '2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships' is the most prestigious table tennis event held for the first time in Korea at BEXCO, Busan, with over 2,000 athletes from 40 countries participating in both men's and women's categories.
First, from January 15 to 29, a preliminary inspection of hygiene and safety management was conducted at 189 locations including the championship venue (BEXCO) and nearby designated accommodations (Haeundae-gu) restaurants.
Using consumer food hygiene inspectors, business operators were guided on compliance with hygiene, cleanliness, and price labeling, and promotion of food poisoning prevention such as norovirus was carried out.
From January 22 to 29, hygiene and safety management were inspected at 60 locations including meal service providers for athletes, designated accommodations, and food handling establishments inside and outside the venue.
On-site training was provided to cooking staff and others to ensure compliance with food and public hygiene management standards and food safety rules to prevent food poisoning.
Additionally, stakeholders related to food and beverage businesses were urged to strictly manage hygiene to prevent food safety incidents such as food poisoning.
Districts and counties will continue to inspect hygiene and safety management at food handling establishments around the venue and designated accommodations, food establishments in multi-use facilities such as airports, railway stations, terminals, tourist sites, and city accommodations until the event ends on February 25.
The main inspection items include cleanliness and temperature control of food storage warehouses, safety management of food and beverages throughout the entire process from inspection of ingredients to cooking and serving, compliance with personal hygiene and hygienic handling standards, hygiene and hospitality training for business operators and cooking staff, prevention of food poisoning such as norovirus, and operation of food and beverage inspectors and rapid food poisoning testing personnel.
Furthermore, the city has established a 'Food and Beverage Safety Management Situation Room' during the event period and is collaborating with the organizing committee, Busan Regional Food and Drug Administration, Health and Environment Research Institute, and districts/counties to do its utmost in managing the safety of food and beverages provided on-site during this period.
One on-site food and beverage inspector and one rapid food poisoning testing vehicle will be deployed to conduct rapid tests on ingredients and meals, blocking any products suspected of safety issues in advance.
As many domestic and international officials and tourists are expected to visit Busan during the event to enjoy the city's flavors and charm, the city plans to continuously encourage accommodation and food service organizations to proactively practice self-regulation efforts for price stabilization, hospitality, and hygiene during this globally spotlighted period.
The city has already requested self-guidance for food safety management and hospitality and hygiene services from accommodation and food service organizations such as the Busan Branch of the Korea Accommodation Business Central Association and the Busan Branch of the Korea Food Service Industry Central Association, and sought cooperation to enhance hospitality and cleanliness mindsets during regular hygiene education for business operators in preparation for welcoming guests.
Lee Sora, Director of the Citizen Health Bureau of Busan City, said, “In preparation for the 2024 Busan World Table Tennis Championships, our city is actively promoting hygiene and safety management at accommodations and restaurants,” adding, “We will showcase Busan’s image as a hygienic and safe tourist city to domestic and international officials and tourists visiting during the event.” She also expressed sincere gratitude to meal service providers and cooking staff working hard for the successful hosting of the event and urged, “Please thoroughly wash and disinfect ingredients until the event ends to prevent winter norovirus food poisoning, and do your best to comply with personal hygiene rules such as hand washing.”
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