CFS announces food safety report for April
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) today (May 31) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 8 900 food samples tested were found to be satisfactory except for 12 unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
A CFS spokesman said about 2 100 food samples had been taken for chemical tests. Some 1 100 samples were collected for microbiological tests and the remaining 5 700 (including about 5 500 taken from food imported from Japan) were collected for testing of radiation levels.
The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygienic indicators, while the chemical tests aimed at detecting pesticides, preservatives, metallic contamination, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others.
The samples comprised about 1 900 samples of vegetables and fruits 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; 600 samples of cereals, grains and their products; and 3 900 samples of other food commodities(including beverages, bakery products, snacks etc).
The 12 unsatisfactory samples included three vegetable samples found with pesticide residues exceeding the legal limits; two salted fish samples found with pesticide residues; two fresh beef samples found with sulphur dioxide; two preserved bean curd samples contaminated with Bacillus cereus; one smoked salmon sample found with Listeria monocytogenes; one raisin sample with sulphur dioxide exceeding the legal limit; and one milk sample detected with milk fat below the legal requirement.
The CFS has taken follow-up action on the unsatisfactory samples including informing the trade concerned of the test results, instructing the trade concerned to stop sale of the incriminated food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
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 risk.
Since the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) came into effect on August 1 last year, as of April 30, 2015, the CFS has taken over 19 900 food samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues and a total of 69 vegetable and fruit samples have been detected with excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.4 per cent.
"Excessive pesticide residues in food may arise from the trade not observing the Good Agricultural Practice, e.g. using excessive pesticides and not allowing sufficient time for pesticides to decompose before harvesting. The Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) 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 does not necessarily mean it could lead to any adverse health effect.
Besides, Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment and that it might also be present in preserved bean curd. As the production of preserved bean curd requires fermentation, Bacillus cereus would multiply when production is not hygienic or storage is not proper. The trade should observe the Good Hygienic Practices in each stage of production to ensure safe and proper processing of the food and to comply with the limit of Bacillus cereus stipulated in the Microbiological Guidelines for Food," the spokesman added.
Ends/Sunday, May 31, 2015