Prepackaged chilled chicken sample found to contain veterinary drug residue

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 28) that a prepackaged chilled chicken sample imported from the Mainland was found to contain a veterinary drug residue of doxycycline. The CFS is following up on the incident.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Chilled Dong Jiang Beard Chicken
Place of origin: China
General distributor: Not available in English on the package
Use-by date: October 13, 2019

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the abovementioned sample from a supermarket in North Point for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained doxycycline at a level of 190 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the legal limit of 100ppb. The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and is tracing the source of the product concerned."

According to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap 132AF), muscle of poultry sold in Hong Kong for human consumption is not allowed to contain doxycycline exceeding the level of 100ppb per kilogram of the food. Offenders will be prosecuted and will be liable to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
 
Ends/Monday, October 28, 2019