The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 29) announced that a sample of bottled honey was detected to contain metronidazole, an antibiotic. The CFS is following up on the case.
Details of the product are as follows:
Product: Winter Honey
Brand: Select
Distributor: PARKnSHOP (HK) Limited
Net weight: 1 kilogram per bottle
Best-before date: January 10, 2023
"The CFS collected the above-mentioned honey sample from a supermarket in Yuen Long for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained metronidazole at a level of 3.3 micrograms per kg. The CFS has notified the vendor concerned of the test result and instructed it to stop selling the affected batch of the product. The distributor concerned has also initiated a recall on the affected batch of the product according to the CFS's instruction. Members of the public may call its hotline at 2606 8658 during office hours for enquiries about the recall of the product. The CFS is tracing the source and distribution of the food in question. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence," a CFS spokesman said.
"According to the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), residues of metronidazole or its metabolites may cause significant health concerns, and competent authorities should prevent residues of metronidazole in food," he added.
According to Section 52 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, any person who sells to a purchaser any food which is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the purchaser shall be guilty of an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months upon conviction.
The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
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