Public advised to stop eating canned luncheon meat contaminated with mercury (with photo)

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (July 20) advised the public not to eat a certain batch of "Greatwall Brand Chopped Pork and Ham". Details of the concerned products are as follows:

Product Name: Greatwall Brand Chopped Pork and Ham
Weight: 340 grammes
Best before date: 17th January 2013
Distributing agent: Yuen Tai Trading Company Ltd.

On July 17, the CFS received a food complaint, which involved a can of the concerned batch of products found to have some silvery droplets when opened. Test results available today confirmed that the droplets are liquid mercury. The total weight is 0.4 gramme.

The distributing agent has imported 1,000 cartons (48,000 cans) of the concerned batch of products. The CFS has collected another 13 samples of the same product of different batches from the local market. Preliminary examination did not reveal mercury droplets. Detailed test results are pending.

As a precautionary measure, the distributing agent has agreed to immediately recall the concerned batch of luncheon meat. It has also set up a hotline (2549 0016) for the consumers. The CFS will monitor the recall process.

A CFS spokesman pointed out that the trade should stop selling the concerned batch of products and consumers should stop consuming them. Consumers who found any foreign matters in canned food should alert the CFS.

He pointed out that liquid mercury is poorly absorbed in the digestive tract. Significant health concern after its ingestion is unlikely.

"Liquid mercury is not involved in the manufacturing process of the concerned canned product. The CFS has informed the relevant Mainland authority of the finding. The incident is still under investigation. The CFS will closely monitor the situation with appropriate follow up actions," the spokesman said.

Ends/Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Picture shows a can of "Great Wall Brand Chopped Pork and Ham" which was found to contain mercury.