SWISSÔTEL MERCHANT COURT IS NOW HACCP CERTIFIED

SINGAPORE, 5 March 2009 – Swissôtel Merchant Court has demonstrated its commitment to food safety yet again. The hotel has been awarded the HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) certification SACHACCP 525870 from the Singapore Accreditation Council for excellence in food safety, a certification recognised by SPRING Singapore (Singapore’s national standards and accreditation body) and all government bodies. It is only one of three hotels to be awarded in Singapore.

HACCP is a systematic preventive approach to food safety. The process encompasses physical, chemical, and biological hazards identification and rectification as a means of prevention, from receiving, storing to preparation and serving food. The HACCP initiative was undertaken to assure guests that the highest standard of food hygiene is adopted in the hotel. The entire certification process took over a year. Each point of food handling in the hotel was carefully evaluated and fine tuned to ensure the safest food handling methods were utilised. Everyone involved in food handling and preparation from the Chefs to the frontline waiters/waitresses were trained and certified on food hygiene practices. During this period, a total of 111 employees attended these courses, incurring over S$50,000 on training fees.

There are over seven key criteria to be observed at all times and these include raw material quality control, food product shelf-life validation control and air environment validation control. In addition, cleaning and sanitation validation control as well as equipment calibration and the maintenance programme are regularly monitored. These processes are now an integral part of the daily work practice which is fully supported by standard operating procedures. Another important initiative was not to use peanut and soya bean oil in order to minimise any possibility of causing an allergic reaction in guests. In turn, the safer alternative of vegetable oil will be used.

“We are proud to be awarded the HACCP certification. This certification reinforces our commitment to food hygiene and maintaining the highest possible food handling standards in our restaurants and kitchens. This is just another example of living up to Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts’ credo of ‘A Passion for Perfection’, comments Rainer Tenius, General Manager of Swissôtel Merchant Court. “We want all our guests to delight in our food offerings, not only in terms of enjoying great food and service but also peace of mind knowing that we are uncompromising with regard to standards of hygiene and safety, adds Mr Tenius.

About Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore
(www.swissotel.com/singapore-merchantcourt)

Swissôtel Merchant Court, Singapore is right in the heart of the city centre, by the banks of historical Singapore River. Across the hotel is CENTRAL/SOHO boasting over 280 shop units, a shoppers’ paradise. The financial hub of Raffles Place, tourist attractions like Chinatown and the Civic District are just a stone’s throw away. Entertainment hot spots such as Clarke Quay is also within close proximity. With the Clarke Quay MRT Station at our doorsteps, getting to the airport, major tourist attractions and shopping is now easier than ever.

For more information, please contact:

Koo Sok Hoon
Marketing Communications Manager
Swissôtel Merchant Court
Singapore
20 Merchant Road
Singapore 058281

P: +65 6239 1732
F: +65 6438 1887
sokhoon.koo@swissotel.com
www.swissotel.com/singapore-merchantcourt

This release was published on openPR.