Call to stop sale and consumption of plasticiser-tainted hot bean paste imported from Taiwan (with photo)

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 24) that one sample of hot bean paste imported from Taiwan was found to contain a plasticiser, Diisononyl phthalate (DINP). The CFS called on the public to stop consumption of the affected batch of the product and instructed the trade to immediately stop selling the affected product as follows:

Brand name and food name: "Ming Shan Brand" (translation) Hot Bean Paste
Manufacturer: An-An Food Industry Corp
Importer: Forcode Industries Ltd
Place of origin: Taiwan
Net weight: 230 grams
Best before: March 7, 2012

A CFS spokesman said, "The sample was collected for testing during the CFS's stepped-up checks on similar food products in response to its detection, in the middle of this month (August), of a plasticiser in samples of two kinds of sauce imported from Taiwan.

"The test result showed that the hot bean paste sample contained DINP at a level of 280 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the action level of 9 ppm adopted by the CFS."

He said, "Dietary exposure estimation revealed that the exposure to DINP by even high consumers of the hot bean paste sample (with a daily consumption of about 3.5 grams) would not exceed the safety reference value, i.e. the tolerable daily intake of 0.15 mg/kg of body weight established by the European Food Safety Authority."

Even though dietary exposure estimation showed no health concern from consuming the sample, the spokesman said that as a precautionary measure the CFS had instructed the importer concerned to immediately stop selling and recall the affected batch of the product.

The spokesman added that the importer had surrendered all the remaining stocks of the affected product for disposal. The CFS also learned that the importer had initiated a product recall and set up a hotline at 2410 8988 during office hours to answer consumers' enquiries about recall arrangements.

Those who have purchased the affected product are advised to stop consumption.

The spokesman added, "The CFS will closely follow up the case, conduct checks at retail outlets to see if the affected batch is available for sale and take samples of other batches of the product as well as similar products in the market for testing.

"If any food product is found to be tainted with plasticisers, the CFS will take the necessary follow-up action to safeguard public health."

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) announced today (August 24) that a sample of "Ming Shan Brand" (translation) Hot Bean Paste imported from Taiwan (pictured) was found to contain a plasticiser, Diisononyl phthalate (DINP). The CFS advised the public to stop consumption of the affected batch of the product and instructed the trade to immediately stop selling the affected product.

Ends/Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:54