The Centre for Food Safety on Wednesday urged the catering trade to take extra care with chicken dishes that are not served hot, as they have a relatively higher risk of causing food poisoning.

It made the call after testing 100 dishes, including Hainan chicken and shredded chicken, all of which were found to be within acceptable standards in terms of bacteria.

"We consider these non-hot served chicken meat products to have a relatively higher risk because they involve various processes that may have a risk of contamination and also the possibility of the multiplication of bacteria," the centre's principal medical officer Dr Tony Chow said.

He noted that bacteria can grow if chicken is kept at an improper temperature and said this could be a particular problem when it comes to dishes that are allowed to cool before they are served.

Dr Chong Tsz-kit, a scientific officer with the centre, gave some advice for the catering trade.

"They have to make sure the chicken meat is cooked thoroughly, and during the preparation process, they should limit the time for preparing the chicken meat, as well as preventing the cross-contamination of the chicken meat," he said.

Chong added that people should also consume cold ready-to-eat chicken dishes as soon as possible after purchase.