Four kinds of meal replacement products manufactured in US suspected to be contaminated with salmonella
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (February 11) urged the public not to consume certain batches of four kinds of Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal Replacement products (chocolate, original, vanilla and vanilla chai) produced by Garden of Life, LLC in the United States (US), as the products might have been contaminated with salmonella, a pathogen. The trade should also stop using or selling the products concerned immediately.
"The Centre received a notification from the US Food and Drug Administration that four kinds of meal replacement products manufactured by the above-mentioned manufacturer were suspected to be contaminated with salmonella. The manufacturer concerned in the US has initiated a recall of the affected products, with expiry dates of September 1, 2017, September 30, 2017, October 1, 2017 and October 31, 2017. The lot numbers of the affected products are set out at the Appendix," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The spokesman said that the CFS had contacted the US authorities over the incident. The CFS has also contacted major local importers and conducted sales checks at local outlets. Initial investigations found that no affected batches of the products had been imported or sold in Hong Kong. The CFS will alert the trade to the incident. The trade should stop using or selling the affected products immediately should they have imported and still possess them.
The spokesman urged members of the public who had bought the affected product to immediately stop consumption.
"Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The effects on infants, young children, the elderly and patients with a weak immune system could be more severe and sometimes may even lead to death," he added.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.
Ends/Thursday, February 11, 2016