Food Safety Focus (223rd Issue, February 2025) – Article 1
Review of Food Incidents in 2024
Reported by Dr. Ka-yun LAM, Medical & Health Officer,
Risk Management Section, Centre for Food Safety
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has established a Food Incident Surveillance System (FISS) to proactively monitor and identify food incidents occurring outside Hong Kong which might have local food safety implications. The CFS also participates in international food safety authorities such as the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) and Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) and closely communicate with Consulates-General and other authorities and the media, etc.
Food Incidents in 2024
In 2024, the CFS identified around 5,300 food incidents through the FISS. For those food incidents with potential local impact, the CFS reviewed relevant import records, coordinated with international authorities and conducted sales checks with local traders with a view to investigating the local availability of the implicated products. For affected products with local availability, the CFS implemented different risk management actions depending on the risk assessment and in compliance with local regulations. These measures included discontinuation of sales of the affected products, initiating product recalls, import suspension and enhancing surveillance of relevant products as necessary.
When the affected products were available locally, the CFS notified consumers and the trade through press releases, Trade Alerts and Food/Allergy Alerts as required. For products evaluated as not having major local impact, the CFS disseminated relevant information via Food Incident Posts.
In 2024, the CFS issued 442 food incident posts, 20 press releases, 20 trade alerts, and 16 food alerts, involving chemical hazards (e.g. use of excessive food additives, toxins), microbiological hazards (e.g. Listeria, Salmonella, Norovirus), physical hazards (e.g. foreign matters), and other issues (e.g. incorrect date labelling). The majority of the food incidents were related to microbiological and chemical hazards, which accounted for 34% and 31% respectively.
Figure1: Types of food incidents with public announcements made in 2024
Risk Management of Food Incidents
The following two examples demonstrate how the CFS manages food incidents effectively with the help of FISS and how the CFS proactively follow up serious food incidents occurring outside Hong Kong that might have local implication.
The CFS's Work on Taiwan's Bongkrekic Acid Incident
In March 2024, the CFS identified via FISS an announcement from the health authority of Taiwan of a food poisoning outbreak in Taipei with fatal cases reported. Clinical specimens of affected patients were tested positive for the toxin bongkrekic acid.
Bongkrekic acid is a heat-stable toxin produced by the bacterium Burkholderia gladioli pathovar cocovenenans (B. cocovenenans), which is ubiquitous in soil and plants. It affects the liver, brain and kidneys, causing symptoms including lack of energy, dizziness, drowsiness, abdominal pain, vomiting, etc. It can be fatal in severe cases with high fatality in past outbreaks.
The CFS proactively followed up on this food incident which had occurred in Taiwan. Our local sales checks at import and retail levels did not find the concerned rice noodle products. For the sake of prudence, the CFS issued a Food Incident Post, an online article and social media posts to alert the public and provided food safety advice. The CFS organised a Trade Consultation Forum with a topic on safe handling of rice and noodles to prevent food poisoning, including bongkrekic acid poisoning in order to raise the awareness of the trade. The CFS also maintained close communication with the health authority of Taiwan and enhanced surveillance of local rice noodle products for bongkrekic acid testing and all results were satisfactory. Besides, the CFS also conducted inspection at a local food factory that produced rice noodle products and the overall hygiene condition of the factory was satisfactory with a HACCP food safety system in place.
Imported Carrots with Possible Shiga Toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) O121 Contamination
In November 2024, the CFS through FISS identified a notification from the Food and Drug Administration of the United States (US) that a kind of carrots originating from the US was being recalled due to possible contamination with STEC O121. The CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow up and investigation revealed that an importer has imported the affected carrots into Hong Kong. The CFS instructed the importer to stop selling and remove the concerned products from shelves and to initiate a recall. A press release and a trade alert were issued.
Some strains of E. coli, e.g. E. coli O121, can cause diseases through the production of a toxin called Shiga toxin. These strains are called STEC. Symptoms of STEC infection include abdominal pain and watery diarrhoea that may in some cases progress to bloody diarrhoea. Fever and vomiting may also occur. Intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as hemolytic uraemic syndrome may also develop in some people.
Conclusion
The FISS is an important tool leveraged by the CFS for early detection and timely intervention of food incidents. The CFS will continue to make every endeavour to safeguard public health by swiftly responding to food incidents.
