Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk found with excessive total bacterial count

Issue Date 21.8.2015
Source of Information

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department

Food Product

Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk

Product Name and Description

Product name: Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk
Product size: 236 millilitres
Use by date: August 22, 2015

Reason For Issuing Alert

A total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit

Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety

Sample of the milk was collected from Park'N Shop at Lok Fu Plaza, Wang Tau Hom for testing under the regular Food Surveillance Programme. Test result showed that the total bacterial count of the sample was 260 000 000 per millilitre. According to the Milk Regulation, milk after heat-treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre."

The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed the vendor concerned to stop sale and take the product concerned off shelf from all their retail outlets. Prosecution will be initiated should there be sufficient evidence. The CFS will also alert the trade to the incident and contact the manufacturer concerned.

The fact that total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit indicates unsatisfactory hygienic conditions, but does not mean it would lead to food poisoning. Nevertheless, it will be prudent for consumers who have bought the affected product to refrain from drinking it. The trade should also stop selling the affected product.

The CFS will continue to monitor the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is still ongoing.

Advice to the Trade

Trade should stop selling the affected product

Advice to Consumers

Consumers who have bought the affected product to refrain from drinking it.

Further Information

The CFS press release

Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2015-8-21

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