Laksa sample detected with excessive Clostridium perfringens

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 6) announced that a laksa sample was found to contain excessive Clostridium perfringens, a pathogen. The CFS is following up on the case.

"Following up on food complaints, the CFS collected the above sample from a restaurant in Causeway Bay for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained Clostridium perfringens at a level of 190 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, it is potentially injurious to health or unfit for human consumption if a gram of ready-to-eat food contains more than 10 000 Clostridium perfringens," a CFS spokesman said.

Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment. Foods prepared in bulk, especially cooked meat and poultry dishes, and stored at ambient temperatures with a long cooling period after cooking are at high risk. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Clostridium perfringens may cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea.

The spokesman said that the CFS had informed the restaurant concerned of the test result and instructed it to stop supplying the affected food immediately and carry out thorough cleaning of the premises. The CFS has also provided health education on food safety and hygiene for the person-in-charge and staff of the restaurant.

The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.

Ends/Friday, October 6, 2017