Spanish dark chocolate detected with harmful contaminants

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 20) urged the public not to consume a batch of dark chocolate manufactured in Spain, as the product contained harmful contaminants, namely benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.

"The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that a batch of dark chocolate manufactured in Spain was found to contain BaP and PAH at levels exceeding the relevant European standards. According to the information provided by the RASFF, the French wholesaler concerned has initiated a recall and certain affected product has been imported into Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CFS said.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Dark chocolate bar 70% cocoa minimum
Brand name: Chocolaterie de l'Opera
Place of origin: Spain
Manufacturer: Barry Callebaut Manufacturing　
Lot number: 1505816053
Weight: 1 kilogramme (kg) per pack (5 packs per box with a total weight of 5 kg)
Best-before date: February 27, 2017

The spokesman said that based on the information provided by the RASFF, the CFS has followed up with the importer concerned, Foodgears Industrial International Limited, and learned that a total of 16 boxes of the affected product (80kg in total) had been imported to Hong Kong. Some of the product had been supplied to a local hotel, while the remaining stock of eight boxes has been voluntarily surrendered by the importer concerned to the CFS for disposal. The CFS has also instructed the importer to notify the hotel concerned to immediately remove from shelves and stop sale of the affected product, and initiate a recall. Members of the public may call the importer's hotline at 3999 5774 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

BaP is a kind of PAHs which are contaminants ubiquitous in the environment. BaP is toxic to genes and can cause cancer in human. The International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization has classified BaP as "carcinogenic to human". The intake of BaP should be reduced as far as practicable.

According to Section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), all food for sale in Hong Kong, whether imported or locally produced, must be fit for human consumption.An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The CFS will alert the trade to the incident and will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate follow-up action.

Ends/Friday, May 20, 2016