Excessive cadmium found in prepackaged mantis shrimp sample

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 14) announced that a prepackaged mantis shrimp sample was detected with cadmium, a metallic contaminant, at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the incident.

     Product details are as follows:

     Product name: (Not available in English)
     Place of origin: China
     Distributor: Sun Ocean Food Co., Ltd
     Net weight:150 grams per pack
     Best-before date: September 26, 2021

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the abovementioned sample from an online shop for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained cadmium at a level of 2.82 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 2 ppm."

     The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The distributor concerned has initiated a recall according to the CFS' instructions. Members of the public may call the distributor's hotline at 3999 9229 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. The CFS is also tracing the source of the affected product.

     According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination above the legal limit is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.

     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.