The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 27) announced that a kind of prepackaged walnut drink produced in Italy was suspected to contain an allergen, milk, but it was not declared on the product's food label. The CFS advised consumers who are allergic to milk to refrain from consuming the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: OraSi Walnut
Place of origin: Italy
Manufacturer: UNIGRA S.R.L
Importer: UNIGRA S.R.L (Hong Kong)
Distributor: Well Synergy International Limited
Packing: 1 litre per pack
Best-before-date: February 14, 2019

     "The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product is under recall because it may contain an allergen, milk, which is not declared on the food label. According to information provided by the RASFF, the above-mentioned importer imported some of the affected product into Hong Kong," the spokesman said.
     
     The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned which confirmed that it had imported a total of 420 packs of the affected product. Among them, 300 packs were distributed to Well Synergy International Limited and some of them had been sold. The importer and the distributor have stopped sale and initiated a recall of the affected product according to CFS's instruction. Members of the public may call the distributor's hotline at 3698 1653 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

     The spokesman advised consumers who are allergic to milk to stop consuming the product concerned. They should seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming it.

      "People who are allergic to milk may have immunologic response like vomiting, diarrhoea and rash upon consumption of food containing this allergen. In severe cases, anaphylactic shock may even develop. As for other members of the public, generally speaking, they would not be subject to such reactions when the food in question is consumed," he said.

     The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap 132W) require that all prepackaged food for sale in Hong Kong should list out the food ingredients in its list of ingredients. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment.

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

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 27) announced that three Chinese wolfberry leaf samples were found to contain a pesticide residue at levels exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the cases.

      A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the Chinese wolfberry leaf samples from two supermarkets in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Fong, as well as a vegetable shop in Wan Chai respectively for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the samples contained acetamiprid at respective levels of 6.5 parts per million (ppm), 7.4 ppm and 6.1 ppm, exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 3 ppm.

      "Based on the levels of pesticide residue detected in the samples, adverse health effects will not be caused under usual consumption," he added.

      Generally speaking, to reduce pesticide residues in vegetables, members of the public can rinse vegetables thoroughly under clean running water, and scrub produce with hard surfaces with a clean brush to remove dirt and substances including pesticides and contaminants from the surface and the crevices, when appropriate.

      Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) concerning pesticide residues commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

      Since the regulation came into effect on August 1, 2014, the CFS has taken over 150 000 samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues. Together with the unsatisfactory samples announced today, a total of 230 food samples (including 222 vegetable and fruit samples) have been detected as having excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.2 per cent.

      The spokesman added that excessive pesticide residues in food may arise from the trade not observing Good Agricultural Practice, e.g. using excessive pesticides and/or not allowing sufficient time for pesticides to decompose before harvesting. The MRLs of pesticide residues in food set in the Regulation are not safety indicators. They are the maximum concentrations of pesticide residues to be permitted in a food commodity under Good Agricultural Practice when applying pesticides. In this connection, consumption of food with pesticide residues higher than the MRLs may not necessarily lead to any adverse health effects.

      The CFS is following up on the unsatisfactory results, including tracing the sources of the food in question and taking samples for testing. Investigation is ongoing. 

     Police today (July 27) appealed to the public for information on a man who went missing in Sau Mau Ping.

     Lo Chi-kong, aged 51, went missing after he left his residence in Shun On Estate on July 22 afternoon. His family made a report to Police on July 24.

     He is about 1.68 metres tall, 72 kilograms in weight and of fat build. He has a square face with yellow complexion and short black hair. He was last seen wearing a red polo shirt, dark coloured trousers and sports shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Kowloon East on 3661 0316 or 9020 2746 or email to rmpu-ke-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
     

  

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) is today (July 27) investigating a case of severe paediatric enterovirus (EV) 71 infection, and again urged the public and institutions to maintain strict hand, personal and environmental hygiene.

     The case involves a 1-month-old baby boy with good past health, who has presented with fever and rash over hands and feet since July 22. He was admitted to Queen Mary Hospital for medical treatment on July 23 and was discharged today. He has all along been in a stable condition.

     His cerebrospinal fluid specimen tested positive for EV71 upon laboratory testing. The clinical diagnosis was meningitis.

     Initial enquiries revealed that the patient had no recent travel history. His home contacts remain asymptomatic so far. Investigations are ongoing.

    "EV71 is one of the causative agents for hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD). The infection is transmitted from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. Good personal and environmental hygiene are the most important measures to prevent EV71 infection," a spokesman for the CHP said.
 
     "HFMD is common in children while adult cases may also appear. It is usually caused by enteroviruses such as Coxsackie virus and EV71. It is clinically characterised by maculopapular rashes or vesicular lesions occurring on the palms, soles and other parts of the body such as the buttocks and thighs. Vesicular lesions and ulcers may also be found in the oral cavity. Sometimes patients present mainly with painful ulcers at the back of the mouth, namely herpangina, without rash on the hands or feet," the spokesman said.
 
     "HFMD occurs throughout the year. A summer peak usually occurs in May to July. As young children are more susceptible, parents should stay alert to their health. Institutional outbreaks may occur where HFMD can easily spread among young children with close contact," the spokesman added.

     To prevent HFMD, members of the public, especially the management of institutions, should take heed of the following preventive measures:

* Maintain good air circulation;
* Wash hands before meals and after going to the toilet or handling diapers or other stool-soiled materials;
* Keep hands clean and wash hands properly, especially when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, such as after sneezing;
* Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and oral discharges properly;
* Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces such as furniture, toys and commonly shared items with 1:99 diluted household bleach (mixing one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite with 99 parts of water), leave for 15 to 30 minutes, and then rinse with water and keep dry. For metallic surfaces, disinfect with 70 per cent alcohol;
* Use absorbent disposable towels to wipe away obvious contaminants such as respiratory secretions, vomitus or excreta, and then disinfect the surface and neighbouring areas with 1:49 diluted household bleach (mixing one part of bleach containing 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite with 49 parts of water), leave for 15 to 30 minutes and then rinse with water and keep dry. For metallic surfaces, disinfect with 70 per cent alcohol;
* Children with EV71 infection are advised to refrain from going to schools or group activities such as parties, interest classes and swimming until two weeks after fever has subsided and all the vesicular lesions have dried and crusted to prevent the spread of disease;
* Avoid going to overcrowded places; and
* Parents should maintain close communication with schools to let them know the latest situation of the sick children.

     The public may visit the CHP's page on HFMD and EV71 infection for more information.

     Many Hong Kong comedians team up on-screen, with the contrasts in their distinctive characters and appearances arousing much amusement. The exhibition "1 Plus 1 Equals More Than 2: Comedy Duos of Hong Kong Cinema", organised by the Hong Kong Film Archive (HKFA) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is being held from today (July 27) to October 1 at the Exhibition Hall of the HKFA. The exhibition features four comic pairings from different eras to showcase the gradual changes in Hong Kong comedies and society as well.
 
     The four highlighted on-screen pairs are Sun Ma Si-tsang and Tang Kei-chen in the 1950s, the "two fools" who would do anything for a buck; the Cantonese-speaking Leung Sing-por and the Mandarin-speaking Liu Enjia in the '60s, the hefty quarrelsome rivals; Michael Hui and Ricky Hui in the '70s and '80s, the mean boss and the bumbling employee; and Stephen Chow and Ng Man-tat in the '90s, the well-known figures of "mo lei tau", the Hong Kong style of nonsensical humour.
 
     Four scene zones simulating real sets in which the four pairs were shot for their popular comedies have been set up in the venue, namely the barber shop operated by the "two fools" in "Two Fools Catch the Murderer" (1959), the tailor store of the two hefty rivals in "The Greatest Civil War on Earth" (1961), the revamped local barbecue roast-duck restaurant in "Chicken and Duck Talk" (1988) and the corner store that is also the headquarters of an ancient form of kung fu in "Love on Delivery" (1994).
 
     In addition, the exhibition displays two 3D installations which project film clips highlighting the images, singing, pantomime and scripts of the four pairs. A photo-taking zone with cartoon images of the four pairs allows visitors to have fun in the venue.
 
     To complement the exhibition, two seminars in Cantonese will be held by the HKFA at its Cinema. The first, entitled "Hong Kong Comedies and Social Changes, 1977-1997", will be held at 2pm on July 28, with scriptwriter Lam Chiu-wing as the speaker. Another seminar, entitled "A Man/Society in Trouble in Hong Kong Comedies", will be held at 2pm on August 26 and will be hosted by film scholar Dr Yau Ching.
     
     Admission to the exhibition and the seminars is free. For details, please call 2739 2139 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/HKFA/en_US/web/hkfa/programmesandexhibitions/highlights/highlights51.html.