Stop consuming a kind of French cheese suspected to be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli

Issue Date 30.4.2018
Source of Information

Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission

Food Product

A kind of cheese imported from France

Product Name and Description

Product name: Camembert de Normandie - Appelation d'origine  protégée - au lait cru
Place of origin: France
Producer: Fromagerie du Plessis
Importer: FICO International Ltd
Packing: 250 grams per pack
Batch Code: 260218DS0
Use-by date: May 2, 2018

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product was found to be positive for Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) as well as containing a high Escherichia coli (E. coli) count and was being recalled. According to information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, FICO International Ltd, imported some of the affected product into Hong Kong.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up. The importer confirmed that it had imported 4.75 kilograms of the affected product and all of it had been distributed. It has initiated a recall according to the CFS' advice.
  • The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to monitor the case and take appropriate follow-up action.
Advice to the Trade
  • Stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.
Advice to Consumers
  • Not to consume the affected product if they have bought any.
Further Information

The CFS press release

  • Members of the public may call the importer's hotline at 2850 4799 during office hours for enquiries.

Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2018-4-30

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