Prepackaged cornmeal sample not in compliance with nutrition label rules

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (September 29) announced that the energy, total fat and sugar contents of a prepackaged cornmeal sample were found to be inconsistent with the declared contents on its nutrition label. The CFS urged the trade to stop selling the affected batch of the product immediately.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Fine Grind Cornmeal
Product brand: Bob's Red Mill
Place of origin: US
Manufacturer: Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods
Distributor: The Dairy Farm Company Limited
Net weight: 24 ounces/680 grams per pack
Best-before date: July 23, 2017

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a supermarket in Causeway Bay for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that there were discrepancies between the actual contents of energy (330 kcal/100g), total fat (3.5g/100g) and sugar (1.9g/100g), and the declared contents of energy (110 kcal/43g, i.e. about 256 kcal/100g), total fat (1g/43g, i.e. about 2.3g/100g) and sugar (0 g/43g, i.e. 0g/100g) on its nutrition label."

He added, "The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularities and the vendor concerned has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product according to the CFS' instructions."

According to Section 61 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), if any person falsely describes food or misleads as to the nature, substance or quality of the food on a label of the food sold by him or her, he or she 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, September 29, 2017