Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk found with excessive total bacterial count

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 21) urged people not to consume a batch of Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk which was detected to have a total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The trade should also stop selling the affected product.

Details of the product concerned are as follows:

Product name: Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk
Product size: 236 millilitres
Use by date: August 22, 2015

A CFS spokesman said, "A sample of the milk was collected from Park'N Shop at Lok Fu Plaza, Wang Tau Hom for testing under the regular Food Surveillance Programme. Test result showed that the total bacterial count of the sample was 260 000 000 per millilitre. According to the Milk Regulation, milk after heat-treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre."

The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed the vendor concerned to stop sale and take the product concerned off shelf from all their retail outlets. Prosecution will be initiated should there be sufficient evidence. The CFS will also alert the trade to the incident and contact the manufacturer concerned.

"The fact that total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit indicates unsatisfactory hygienic conditions, but does not mean it would lead to food poisoning. Nevertheless, it will be prudent for consumers who have bought the affected product to refrain from drinking it. The trade should also stop selling the affected product," the spokesman said.

The CFS will continue to monitor the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is still ongoing.

Ends/Friday, August 21, 2015