Prepacked pork sausage from Vietnam detected with non-permitted preservative benzoic acid

Background: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, identified a notice issued by the Department of Food Safety of the Macao Municipal Affairs Bureau, that a batch of prepacked pork sausage imported via Hong Kong was found to contain benzoic acid at a level of 0.41 g/kg, not complying with the standard of Macao. The CFS therefore immediately contacted the local importer concerned for follow-up. According to the information provided by the importer, the affected batch of product was available for sale in Hong Kong.
Product name: Premium Pork Sausage
Brand: 蘭香園
Place of origin: Vietnam
Importer: Amerasia Food Service Company Limited
Net weight: 250 grams
Lot Code: VN.176.IV.077
Best-before date: June 11, 2024
Name of preservative: Benzoic Acid
Detected content: 0.41 g/kg of food
Source of information: The Department of Food Safety of the Macao Municipal Affairs Bureau
Remarks:
  1. The Centre for Food Safety has instructed the importer to stop selling the incriminated batch of the affected product.
  2. According to the Preservatives in Food Regulation (Cap 132BD), any person who sells food with preservative above the legal limit may be prosecuted and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.

  3. Based on the level of benzoic acid detected in the sample, adverse health effects would not be caused under usual consumption.

  4. The Centre for Food Safety will inform the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

END/Wednesday, September 28, 2022