Page 4823 - Week 16 - Thursday, 29 November 1990
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Emergency Service - Disaster Plans
MR MOORE: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister, Mr Kaine. Are legislative bases available to the ACT Emergency Service to invoke a welfare or disaster plan in the event of a local disaster, for example, in the nature of a failure of the Googong Dam? If there are no legislative bases, what procedures will be undertaken by the Alliance Government to preserve the safety of the community from such natural or, I suppose, possibly human made disasters?
MR KAINE: I think I will take that question on notice, Mr Speaker, and give a comprehensive response to it.
Doner Kebabs
MR JENSEN: Mr Speaker, my question is directed to Mr Humphries in his capacity as Minister for Health. As a subscriber to the excellent Choice magazine, I am referring to an article in the magazine of July 1990, which would suggest - - -
Mr Wood: You have the answer in front of you. What do you want to read the question for?
MR SPEAKER: Order!
MR JENSEN: Thank you, Mr Wood. It suggests that doner kebabs may be a source of food poisoning. If so, what action is being taken to protect the ACT public?
MR HUMPHRIES: I thank Mr Jensen for his very important question on this matter. I have also read the article referred to, and have sought some detailed advice from Dr Scott, the Chief Health Officer of the ACT.
Dr Scott refutes any implication that any of the doner kebab-style food is any more of a risk to consumers than any other takeaways. There is a risk of cutting too deeply into the revolving meat column and serving undercooked meat; but no more risk than a busy hamburger bar, for example, providing a hamburger patty that has not been thoroughly cooked.
When this style of rotisserie cooking first became popular in Canberra about 10 years ago there was a concern that the temperature of the meat at the inner core would encourage prolific bacterial growth. However, this does not appear to be the case. There have been no recorded cases of food poisoning implicating this style of cooking in the ACT. Like all food of this type, there is a potential for food poisoning, but it is a matter of adhering to good hygiene
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