Batch of French raw milk cheese contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 6) urged the public not to consume a batch of Neufchatel chilled raw milk cheese, imported from France, as the product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.

Details of the product are as follows:

Product name: Neufchatel AOP
Producer: SARL Villiers
Place of origin: France
Batch No.: 32515F

"The Centre received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned batch of raw milk cheese was found to have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. According to the information provided by the RASFF, the French producer concerned has initiated a recall of the affected batch of the product (with all best-before dates) and a small volume of the affected product has been imported into Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CFS said.

The CFS immediately contacted Repertoire Culinaire Hong Kong Ltd, the importer concerned in Hong Kong as notified by the RASFF. According to the importer, a total of six pieces of the affected cheese (about 1.2 kilograms in total) have been imported and upon notification of the incident by its supplier earlier, the affected cheese which had been supplied to a restaurant was recalled and disposed of together with the remaining stock. The CFS will also alert the trade to the incident and urge them to stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately should they have imported and still possess it.

"Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth or severe infection in newborns," the spokesman said.

He urged members of the public to stop consuming the affected batch of the product if they have purchased any, and to seek medical advice if they feel sick upon consumption. The CFS has not received any reports or complaints of persons feeling unwell after consumption of the product concerned in the past three months.

The CFS will continue to follow up and take appropriate actions.

Ends/Thursday, August 6, 2015