Imported ice-cream samples detected with coliform bacteria exceeding legal limit

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 23) that samples of a kind of ice-cream imported from Malaysia were found to contain coliform bacteria exceeding the legal limit. The affected products have been marked and sealed, and have not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the case.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Musang King Durian Ice Cream
Brand: Duria
Place of origin: Malaysia
Weight: 70 grams
Importer: Cougar Hong Kong Limited
Batch number: 230206D17
Best-before date: February 5, 2025

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected samples of the above-mentioned ice-cream at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that two samples contained 250 coliform bacteria per gram, exceeding the legal limit.

"The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularities. The affected products have all been marked and sealed, and have not entered the market. The CFS will suspend temporarily the permission to import for sale the product concerned granted earlier to the importer," the spokesman said.

Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the coliform count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.

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

Ends/Tuesday, May 23, 2023