CFS finds Salmonella in prepackaged cut fruit sample

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (April 9) that a prepackaged cut fruit sample (including honeydew melon and netting melon) was found to contain a pathogen, Salmonella. The CFS is following up on the case.

     "The CFS collected the abovementioned cut fruit sample from a supermarket in Ho Man Tin for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed the presence of Salmonella in 25 grams of the sample, exceeding the criterion of the Microbiological Guidelines for Food which states that Salmonella should not be detected in 25g of a ready-to-eat food sample," a CFS spokesman said.

     The spokesman said that the CFS has notified the vendor concerned of the unsatisfactory test result and instructed it to stop selling the food item concerned immediately. The CFS has also provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the vendor, and requested it to review and improve the food production process and carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection.

     "Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The effects on infants, young children, the elderly and patients with a weak immune system could be more severe and may even lead to death," the spokesman said.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.