Recent testing of vanilla ice creams bought from 17 Dunedin dairies and other shops showed that five of the cone ice creams were contaminated with E. coli bacteria at levels above those permitted by the New Zealand Food Safety Authority.
Kim (12) outlined her findings in a research project she has created as part of the 2009 Aurora Otago Science and Technology Fair, which continues at the Otago Museum today and tomorrow.
Mr Leyland is the general manager for sales and distribution at the Tip Top ice cream company, a subsidiary of the Fonterra Co-operative Group.
Food outlets, under the guidance of local authorities and the food safety authority, could "make a big difference to ensure consumers get the very best quality and safe products", he said.
Tip Top also operated a food safety and quality programme that included an induction programme for new retailers, with demonstrations and information on how to service freezers and to serve a "safe ice cream".
The company also held an annual training programme to ensure its sales consultants, during their weekly store visits, were always reinforcing the right way to do things.
Tip Top tested every batch of ice cream before it left the factory and could assure the safety and quality of its products at each step in the production process up to delivery to the retailers, he said.
Kim said she had been surprised and "quite happy" about the media attention she and her research had received this week - including being on the front page of the ODT, appearing on TV3 news and being interviewed on National Radio.
She said she did not want to discourage people from eating ice cream, but hoped her research would help people to "get the message" about the need to improve food hygiene practices.
Wayne Boss, a senior environmental health officer at the Dunedin City Council, said there was no cause for alarm about scoop-served ice cream, which could still be eaten safely.
However, there was also no room for complacency about food safety, Mr Boss said.
The DCC environmental health department would continue to emphasise the necessity for professional hygiene practices, including good hand-washing, at food outlets.
Since the publicity, several retail outlets had contacted the department asking if there was anything they could do to further improve their food safety practices, he said.
