Preservative exceeds legal limit in two prepackaged oyster sauce samples

Food name:

OYSTER FLAVORED SAUCE

Brand:

YUET WO

Net weight:

630 ml

Place of origin:

Hong Kong

  Best before date:
  1. January 17, 2025
  2. March 22, 2025

Preservative:

Sorbic Acid

Detected level:
  1. 1253 parts per million
  2. 1246 parts per million

Maximum permitted level:

1000 parts per million

Sampling location:
  1. A supermarket in Causeway Bay
  2. An online vendor

Remarks:
  1. The Centre for Food Safety has instructed the vendors to stop selling the incriminated batches of the affected products
  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 sorbic acid detected in the samples, risk assessment showed that adverse health effects are unlikely 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 affected products.
  5. Investigation is ongoing.

END/ Monday, May 6, 2024