Sucrose level of three imported ice-cream samples found below legal requirement

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Department today (September 21) announced that samples of three kinds of ice-cream products, imported from Channel Islands, were found with a sucrose content below the legal requirement. The CFS is following up on the incident.

Details of the products are as follows:

1. Product name: Strawberry Luxury Dairy Ice Cream
Place of origin: Channel Islands
Manufacturer: Jersey Dairy
Sole distributor: 759 Store
Best-before date: June 24, 2018
Volume: 125 millilitres

2. Product name: Strawberry Luxury Dairy Ice Cream
Place of origin: Channel Islands
Manufacturer: Jersey Dairy
Sole distributor: 759 Store
Best-before date: June 24, 2018
Volume: 500 millilitres

3. Product name: Rum & Raisin Luxury Dairy Ice Cream
Place of origin: Channel Islands
Manufacturer: Jersey Dairy
Sole distributor: 759 Store
Best-before date: June 27, 2018
Volume: 125 millilitres

"The CFS collected the above-mentioned three ice-cream samples for testing at the import level under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that they contained sucrose at levels of 6.4 per cent, 6.4 per cent and 5.8 per cent respectively, below the legal requirement of not less than 7.5 per cent as stipulated in the Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations," a CFS spokesman said.

The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularities. All the affected products have been marked and sealed and have not entered the local market. Other products of the same brand will not be affected.

Although consuming ice-cream with sucrose level below the legal requirement would not pose any health concern, the products concerned did not meet the legal requirement on the composition of ice-cream. In view of this, the CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the products concerned granted earlier to the importer. The CFS has also requested the relevant authorities to take appropriate follow-up actions to ensure that their products are in compliance with the legal requirements of Hong Kong.

The CFS has informed the Channel Islands authorities of the test results. The CFS will continue to follow-up on the incident.

Ends/Wednesday, September 21, 2016