Fifty hospital staff are recovering from food poisoning after eating food from a caterer at a party yesterday. They are all in stable condition after developing mild symptoms of abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

The Centre for Health Protection is investigating the outbreak, and the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department is taking follow-up action.

People are urged to take the following measures to prevent food-borne infections:

* handle raw and cooked food with separate utensils to prevent cross contamination;
* keep raw and cooked food separately;
* store food in refrigerator (at four degrees Celsius or below) and adequately reheat leftover food before consumption;
* clean and cook food thoroughly before consumption, particularly seafood like shrimp, crab, oysters and clams;
* wash hands before eating and after going to toilet; and,
* keep the environment clean.