CFS follows up on sea cucumber imported from Taiwan suspected to be processed with acetic acid not permitted for food use

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 29) received a notification from the Taiwanese authorities that several batches of dried and frozen sea cucumber suspected to be processed with acetic acid not permitted for food use were imported from Taiwan into Hong Kong. The CFS appealed to the trade to stop selling the affected products in their possession immediately.

Details of the products provided by the Taiwanese authorities are as follows:

Product name: frozen sea cucumber/dried sea cucumber
Manufacturer: Taiwan's Kan Cheng Sea Cucumber Manufactory Company
Hong Kong Importer: Lucky Stars Trading Company
Batch Number:
Frozen sea cucumber - 0308.19.10.00-6, 1605.61.00.10-1, 05201400.0001510, 3079914006
Dried sea cucumber - 0308.19.30.10-0

A CFS spokesman said, "With regard to the case in which Taiwan's Kan Cheng Sea Cucumber Manufactory Company was suspected to process sea cucumber with acetic acid not permitted for food use, the Centre has actively followed up with the Taiwanese authorities to ascertain whether the affected products were imported into Hong Kong and received a notification from the Taiwanese authorities today that several batches of the affected sea cucumber manufactured by Kan Cheng Sea Cucumber Manufactory Company were imported into Hong Kong through Lucky Stars Trading Company. The Centre is liaising with the importer concerned to instruct it to stop selling and remove from shelves the products in question. The CFS will also mark and seal all its remaining stocks and trace the distribution of the products concerned.

The CFS will alert the trade to the incident. As the above-mentioned products may be sold in loose pack, the spokesman urged the public, if in doubt, to check with the respective retailers whether the sea cucumber they purchased were originated from the above-mentioned supplier. The public should seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the products concerned.

Upon learning that sea cucumber from Taiwan was suspected to be processed with acetic acid not permitted for food use, the Centre has immediately collected 10 sea cucumber samples from the market for testing. All results were satisfactory.

The CFS will continue to follow up the case and liaise with the Taiwanese authorities, and take appropriate actions to safeguard food safety and public health.

Ends/Friday, May 29, 2015