Preservative exceeds legal limit in prepackaged date sample

Food name: (Not available in English)
Brand: (Not available in English)
Net weight:

605 grams

Place of origin: China
Best-before date: October 15, 2023
Preservative: Sulphur dioxide
Detected level:

180 parts per million

Maximum permitted level:

100 parts per million

Sampling location: A retail shop in Yuen Long
Remarks
  1. The Centre for Food Safety has instructed the vendor 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 Sulphur dioxide 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 unsatisfactory result, including tracing the source of the food in question. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.

  5. Investigation is ongoing.

END/ Thursday, December 8, 2022