Snowflake brick sample detected with coliform bacteria exceeding legal limit

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 28) announced that a sample of milk-flavoured snowflake brick was found to contain coliform bacteria exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the incident.
      
     "The Centre collected the abovementioned sample of snowflake brick from a licensed frozen confection factory in Kwai Chung for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained 480 coliform bacteria per gram, exceeding the legal limit," a spokesman for the CFS said.
      
     Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap 132AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the coliform bacteria exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.
      
     "The CFS has informed the person in charge of the premises concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop selling the affected product immediately. The CFS will provide health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff concerned, and request them to carry out a thorough cleaning and disinfection. The CFS is also tracing the distribution of the affected product," the spokesman said.
      
     The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.