Consumers urged not to consume four kinds of fried pork floss from Taiwan

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 22) urged the public not to consume four kinds of pork products of Taiwan Farm Industry Co., Ltd imported from Taiwan as they were made with substandard lard. Traders who still have the products concerned in their possession should stop supplying the products and should recall the products.

Products details provided by the Taiwanese Authorities are as follows:

(1) Product name: Fried Pork Floss
Place of origin: Taiwan
Weight: 270 grammes per can/12 cans per box
Manufacturing date:
between May 6 and September 14, 2014
Importer: Teamon Products Limited

(2) Product name: Fried Pork Gloss with Seaweed
Place of origin: Taiwan
Weight: 270 grammes per can/12 cans per box
Manufacturing date:
between May 6 and September 14, 2014
Importer: Teamon Products Limited
Bright Overseas Food Limited

(3) Product name: Fried Pork Floss
Place of origin: Taiwan
Weight: 300 grammes per can/12 cans per box
Manufacturing date:
between May 6 and September 14, 2014
Importer: 759 Store

(4) Product name: Fried Pork Floss
Place of origin: Taiwan
Weight: 180 grammes per can/12 cans per box
Manufacturing date:
between May 6 and September 14, 2014
Importer: 759 Store

A CFS spokesman said that the Centre received notification from the Taiwanese authorities last evening (October 21) informing that the above four kinds of food products were made with substandard lard produced by Cheng I Food Co., Ltd, and a total of about 37 380 cans of the affected products were exported to Hong Kong.

He said, "Members of the public should stop eating the aforesaid products and contact the retailers concerned. The trade who has the products concerned should stop supplying, initiate recall, seal or return the products to the supplier. The CFS will alert the trade of the incident and take follow-up actions, which include contacting the importer concerned and requesting the company to submit transaction records of their food within a specified time to facilitate tracking and marking and sealing of the possibly affected products to safeguard food safety."

Members of the public and traders who would like to secure a copy of the list of affected products can pay attention to the relevant information available on CFS' website: (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fst/whatsnew_fst_Substandard_Oil_Produced_in_Taiwan.html).

According to Section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132) (the Ordinance), all food for sale in Hong Kong, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction. Section 52 of the Ordinance provides that any person sells to the prejudice of a purchaser any food which is not of the nature, substance or quality of the food demanded by the purchaser shall be guilty of an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months upon conviction.

The spokesman said that the CFS will continue to keep close contact with the Taiwanese authorities and take appropriate actions in a timely manner.

Ends/Wednesday, October 22, 2014