CFS announces food safety report for August
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (October 1) released the findings of its food safety report for August. Results showed that 30 out of the some 11 200 tested samples failed to comply with various requirements. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.7 per cent.
Among the 30 unsatisfactory samples, two frozen dried sardine samples were found to contain histamine, a biotoxin. The results of the remaining 28 samples were announced earlier. They were respectively two white string pod samples with levels of pesticide residues exceeding legal limits, a prepackaged preserved fruit sample with undeclared colouring matter, two fresh pork samples containing sulphur dioxide, a fish fibre sample containing excessive mercury, a shrimp sashimi sample contaminated with pathogen, 11 milk samples with composition not complying with legal requirements, a milk product and five frozen confection samples which hygiene indicators were unsatisfactory, and four beverage samples containing pathogen.
A CFS spokesman said about 4 300 food samples had been taken for chemical tests. Some 1 900 samples were collected for microbiological tests and the remaining 5 100 (including about 5 000 samples taken from food imported from Japan) were collected for testing of radiation levels.
The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygienic indicators while the chemical tests aimed at detecting pesticides, preservatives, metallic contamination, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues, plasticisers and others.
The samples included vegetables and fruits and their products; meat and poultry and their products; aquatic and related products; milk, milk products and frozen confections; and cereals, grains and their products.
Vegetables, fruits and their products
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The CFS took about 2 700 samples of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, preserved vegetables and pickled fruits, dried vegetables and ready-to-eat vegetables for analysis. Other than the two white string pod samples with levels of pesticide residues exceeded legal limits, and a prepackaged preserved fruit sample with undeclared colouring matter and announced earlier, results of the remaining tests were all satisfactory.
Meat, poultry and their products
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The CFS completed the testing of about 1 000 samples, including fresh, chilled and frozen pork, beef and poultry, ready-to-eat dishes of meat and poultry served at food establishments, and meat- and poultry-made products such as Chinese preserved meat, sausages and ham. Except for two fresh pork samples found to contain sulphur dioxide which is not allowed in fresh meat announced earlier, all samples were satisfactory.
Aquatic and related products
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The CFS took some 1 700 samples of fish, shellfish, shrimp, prawn, crab and squid and their products for analysis. Other than a fish fibre sample containing excessive mercury and a shrimp sashimi sample contaminated with pathogen announced earlier, two frozen dried sardine samples were detected to contain a biotoxin, Histamine, at levels between 800 parts per million (ppm) and 880 ppm exceeding the action level of 200 ppm set by the Codex Alimentarius Commission.
"Histamine can cause food poisoning. Symptoms include burning sensation around the mouth, facial flushing, sweating, nausea and headache. Symptoms usually begin within a few minutes to several hours following the ingestion of fish that contain high levels of histamine. But these symptoms will normally disappear in 12 hours," the spokesman said.
According to the information provided by the importer concerned, the product in question was sold to a local restaurant. The vendor has recalled all remaining products under CFS' instructions. The CFS has not received any related food poisoning report.
The results of other tests (Metallic contaminants, preservatives, veterinary drug residues and colouring matters) were all satisfactory.
Milk, milk products and frozen confections
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About 800 samples of ice-cream, cheese, milk and milk products were collected for analysis. Except for 11 milk samples with composition not complying with legal requirements, and a milk product and five frozen confection samples which hygiene indicators were unsatisfactory and were announced earlier, results of other tests were satisfactory.
Cereals, grains and their products
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The CFS took about 600 samples of rice, noodles, flour, bread and breakfast cereals for analysis. All samples passed the tests.
Other food commodities
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The CFS took about 4 300 food samples consisting of mixed dishes, dim sum, beverages, sushi, sashimi, sugar, sweets, condiments, sauces, snacks, eggs and egg products for tests. Other than the four beverage samples which were found to contain pathogen and announced earlier, all the other samples were satisfactory.
Besides, the Pesticide Residues Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM) has been in operation for two months since it came into effect on August 1. The CFS collected over 4 000 food samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing.
Other than five unsatisfactory food samples announced earlier, the CFS recorded 12 other vegetable samples with pesticide residues exceeded the legal limits, the overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.5 per cent. Among about 70 different kinds of food were tested for pesticide residues, six kinds of vegetables found unsatisfactory. They included nine white string pod samples, three water spinach samples, two green string pod samples, a baby shanghai green sample, a chili sample and a choisum sample. The CFS will follow up on these unsatisfactory samples including taking necessary enforcement action, tracing the sources of the food in question and so on to safeguard public health.
Conclusion
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The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the unsatisfactory samples, including informing the trade concerned of the test results, marking and sealing the imported food concerned and instructing the vendors concerned to stop the sale of the incriminated food, tracing the source of the food items in question, informing the authorities concerned of the exporting country for investigation and taking follow-up samples for further testing. Prosecution action will also be taken if there is sufficient evidence.
The trade and consumers should note that certain fish, including sardine, contains amino acid histidine naturally. If the fish is improperly stored, certain bacteria will convert histidine present into histamine. Consumption of such fish may cause food poisoning as cooking cannot destroy histamine.
Such fish, especially of the Scombroid family, should be stored at four degree Celsius or below for chilled fish and -18 degree Celsius or below for frozen fish to prevent spoilage.
Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risk.
The trade should ensure that their food is fit for consumption and meet legal requirements. For example, according to the Food Safety Ordinance (the Ordinance), the trade shall keep transaction records of the business to which it has supplied the food and the business from which it has acquired the food. The Ordinance also requires the trade to present such transaction records for inspection by the Director of the Food and Environmental Hygiene within a specified period of time (as short as 24 hours) and when necessary (such as in a major food incident).
A registered food importer/ food distributor must provide the information of its contact person and an emergency telephone hotline to enable the CFS to establish immediate contact when necessary. Besides, the Ordinance also requires registered food importer/ food distributor has to give written notice to Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene of any change in the information provided in his application for registration or renewal of registration, within 30 days after the change takes place.
Ends/Wednesday, October 1, 2014