Prepackaged flour sample not in compliance with nutrition label rules

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 26) announced that the sugar content in a prepackaged flour sample was found to be inconsistent with the declared value on its nutrition label. Follow-up is in progress.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Premium 100% Whole Wheat Flour
Brand: King Arthur Flour
Place of origin: United States
Distributor: City Super Limited
Net weight: 2 pounds (907 grams) per pack
Best-before date: July 17, 2016

"The CFS collected the above-mentioned flour sample from a supermarket in Central under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. Chemical analysis results showed a discrepancy between the sample's actual sugar content (0.8g per 100g) and the declared content on its nutrition label (0g per 100g)," a spokesman for the CFS said.

"The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and no sale of the affected batch of the product was found. The CFS has also followed up with the distributor concerned to trace the distribution of the affected product," the spokesman added.

According to Section 61 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), if any person falsely describes a food or misleads as to the nature, substance or quality of the food on a label of the food sold by them, they shall be guilty of an offence and liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.

The CFS will inform the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

Ends/Friday, August 26, 2016