CFS announces food safety report for March
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 29) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 10 800 food samples tested were found to be satisfactory except for seven unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
A CFS spokesman said about 900 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, some 3 500 samples were taken for chemical tests and the remaining 6 400 (including about 6 000 taken from food imported from Japan) were collected to test radiation levels.
The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygienic indicators, while the chemical tests aimed at detecting pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others.
The samples comprised about 3 000 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; 600 samples of meat and poultry and their products; 1 300 samples of aquatic and related products; 600 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; 700 samples of cereals, grains and their products; and 4 600 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).
The seven unsatisfactory samples comprised three vegetable samples detected with pesticide residues exceeding the legal limits; two puffer fish maw samples found with tetrodotoxin; and two spotted scat samples detected with malachite green.
The CFS has taken follow-up action on the unsatisfactory samples including informing the trade concerned of the test results, instructing the vendors concerned to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
Since the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) came into effect on August 1, 2014, as of March 31 this year, the CFS had taken over 55 900 food samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.3 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 maximum residue limit (MRL) of pesticide residues in food is not a safety indicator. It is the maximum concentration of pesticide residues to be permitted in a food commodity under the Good Agricultural Practice when applying pesticides. In this connection, consumption of food with pesticide residues higher than the MRL will not necessarily lead to any adverse health effects.
Puffer fish might contain a potent and deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin. The toxin is heat-stable and is likely to remain in fish tissue after the food preparation steps (e.g. cooking and drying). Therefore, eating puffer fish raw, cooked or dried, or its products might lead to food poisoning or even death. The consumption of tetrodotoxin results primarily in neurological and gastrointestinal signs. All humans are susceptible to tetrodotoxin poisoning. There are currently no known antidotes or antitoxins to tetrodotoxin and this toxicosis may be avoided by not consuming puffer fish or other species containing tetrodotoxin.
Malachite green is a type of industrial dye and has been used for treating infection in fish. Major agricultural economies such as the Mainland, the European Union, Canada and the United States prohibit the use of the chemical in food fish. According to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF), no food sold in Hong Kong is allowed to contain malachite green. Offenders will be prosecuted and will be liable to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.
The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.
Ends/Friday, April 29, 2016