The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 31) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 15 200 food samples tested were satisfactory except for seven samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
A CFS spokesman said about 1 400 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, some 3 600 samples were taken for chemical tests and the remaining 10 200 (including about 9 800 taken from food imported from Japan) were collected to test radiation levels.
The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators, while the chemical tests included pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others.
The samples comprised about 3 600 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 800 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 700 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 1 300 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 1 300 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 7 500 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).
The seven unsatisfactory samples comprised three grass carp samples detected with trace amounts of malachite green, a sample of frozen green wrasse fillet found to contain excessive methylmercury, a sample of canned fried fish fibre detected with excessive mercury, a frozen confection sample found to contain excessive counts of hygiene indicator organisms and a vegetable sample detected with excessive pesticide residue.
The CFS has taken follow-up action on the unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food for sale is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.
Follow this news feed: East Asia