Hygiene training visits 16 representative senior centers across the district, reaching more than 500 elderly residents to proactively prevent summer food poisoning linked to five-day-a-week lunch service
Seoul's Yongsan-gu wrapped up its "2026 Hub Senior Center Hygiene and Food Poisoning Prevention Tour" on June 19, a district-wide initiative designed to ensure safe and sanitary meal environments for elderly residents ahead of the summer heat.
The program was organized to proactively prevent hygiene incidents that can arise from in-house lunch service at senior centers during the summer months. It kicked off June 5 in the Ichon 2-dong, Ichon 1-dong and Seobinggo-dong neighborhoods and concluded June 19 in Cheongpa-dong, Hyochang-dong and Yongmun-dong, covering representative hub senior centers in all 16 dong across the district.
The training drew an enthusiastic response from participants, particularly for its hands-on, practical materials focused on preventing pathogenic E. coli food poisoning — a bacteria that multiplies rapidly in hot, humid summer conditions and carries a high risk of cross-contamination.
The curriculum centered on four key food safety rules: washing hands for at least 30 seconds, using separate knives and cutting boards, disinfecting vegetables with chlorine solution and keeping them off countertops, and consuming food within two hours of cooking.
In addition, the sessions covered hygiene management methods for eight major food categories commonly used in senior center kitchens — including fresh vegetables, frozen goods and refrigerated items — along with practical tips on checking expiration dates that staff can apply immediately on site.
Yongsan-gu District Mayor Park Hee-young said ensuring meal safety for elderly residents who eat at the centers five days a week is paramount before the intense summer heat sets in. "I am grateful to all the seniors who participated so actively in this education," Park said. "Through thorough hygiene management and on-site support, we will make our senior centers a place where not a single hygiene incident occurs."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
