Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 17) urged the public not to consume a batch of prepackaged pistachio cream product imported from Germany due to possible contamination with aflatoxin. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.

     â€‹Product details are as follows:

Product name: Pistacchio Kerman Paste
Brand: Cresco Italia
Place of origin: Germany
Net weight: Three kilograms
Use-by date: December 31, 2025
Batch number: 204759065-01
Importer: JJ Global Sourcing Limited
     
     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission, the above-mentioned product is being recalled as it contained aflatoxin B1 exceeding the EU’s standard. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow-up and a preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batch of the product. The aflatoxin level of the product also exceeded the local legal standard.”

     The importer has stopped selling and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product upon the CFS’s instructions and has initiated a recall. Members of the public may call the hotline of the importer concerned at 2190 2125 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

     The World Health Organization (WHO)’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified naturally occurring aflatoxins as carcinogenic to humans, and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives advised that intake of aflatoxins should be reduced to levels as low as reasonably possible although no health-based guidance value has been set. Aflatoxins can lead to liver cancer after long-term ingestion, and the risk for hepatitis B carriers is relatively high.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing. read more

     The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government hosted a welcome home reception at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre this afternoon (December 17) for the HKSAR Delegation to the 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of the People’s Republic of China (NTGEM) returning from the Games. The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Head of the Delegation, Miss Rosanna Law, officiated at the ceremony and presented certificates of commendation to the athletes with outstanding performances as well as expressing gratitude to the coaches and support teams for their dedication.
      
     Jointly organised by the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the People’s Republic of China and the General Administration of Sport of China, and hosted by the People’s Government of Hainan Province, the 12th NTGEM was held from November 22 to 30 this year in Sanya, Hainan. The NTGEM, held every four years, is positioned as a mass participation sporting event and participants are mainly amateur athletes. To encourage active participation from different regions and ethnic groups, the competitions award first, second and third prizes instead of gold, silver and bronze medals.
      
     The HKSAR took part in the Games for the first time. A total of 66 athletes participated in three competition events, namely shuttlecock, dragon boat and folk martial arts, as well as the demonstration event of dragon dance sport. Twenty athletes gave a lion dance performance at the opening ceremony. The athletes achieved remarkable results and were awarded in all four events with one second prize and four third prizes in total. The HKSAR Delegation also won the Sportsmanship Award. Apart from participating in the competition and demonstration events, the Delegation also joined the cultural exchange activities arranged by the Organising Committee to engage with athletes of other ethnic groups in developing a deeper understanding of the excellent traditional Chinese culture while consolidating a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation.
      
     Attendance at the reception today included the Permanent Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ms Vivian Sum; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services and the Deputy Head of the Delegation, Ms Manda Chan; the Commissioner for Sports and Member of the Organising Committee of the Delegation, Mr George Tsoi; the President of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China and the Chairman of the Organising Committee of the Delegation, Mr Timothy Fok; and the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Delegation, Professor Patrick Yung.

      

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (December 17) investigating two epidemiologically linked food poisoning clusters affecting eight persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent foodborne diseases.

     The first cluster involved five females aged between 27 and 40, who developed abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting about 19.5 to 37.5 hours after having a buffet dinner at Promenade Restaurant at Harbour Plaza Metropolis located in Hung Hom on December 10.
    
     The second cluster involved three females aged between 26 and 47, who developed abdominal pain and diarrhoea about 10 to 18 hours after having a buffet dinner at the same restaurant on December 11.

     Four of the affected persons sought medical advice. None required hospitalisation.
      
     Initial investigations by the CHP revealed that the affected persons had consumed common food including raw oysters. The incident might have been caused by norovirus or Vibrio parahaemolyticus.
 
     Personnel from the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department have conducted an inspection at the restaurant, took food samples for laboratory testing, and instructed the premises concerned to suspend serving incriminated food items with immediate effect and carry out cleaning and disinfection of the premises. The officers have also provided health education related to food safety and environmental hygiene to the staff of the premises.
 
     The CHP and CFS’s investigation is ongoing, and it cannot be ruled out that the number of cases will increase.

     Norovirus infection typically causes acute gastroenteritis. It is also a common cause of food poisoning and is very often related to consumption of undercooked or raw shellfish. These diseases affect people of all age groups and tend to be more common during winter. Vibrio parahaemolyticus is commonly found in coastal waters where people are infected by eating raw or undercooked seafood.

     To prevent foodborne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out, one should:
 

• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters at a buffet;
• Choose pasteurised eggs, egg products or dried egg powder for dishes that often use lightly cooked or uncooked eggs;
• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Store and reheat pre-cooked or leftover foods properly before consumption;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hotpot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and utensils to handle raw and cooked foods;
• Avoid patronising illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Refrain from trying to use salt, vinegar, wine or wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

     The Chief Executive in Council (CE in C) today (December 17) considered the fare increase applications from franchised bus operators, and decided that: (a) fares of the Kowloon Motor Bus Company (1933) Limited (KMB) sho… read more

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 17) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about outbreaks of highly … read more