CFS urges public not to consume a kind of Italian sausage suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 16) urged the public not to consume a kind of sausage imported from Italy due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes, a pathogen. The trade should stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.
      
Details of the product are as follows:
     
Product name: Mortadella Bologna IGP con pistacchio
Brand: Casa Modena
Place of origin: Italy
Importer: Angliss Hong Kong Food Service Ltd
Use-by date: November 28, 2018

"The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is being recalled. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a local importer, Angliss Hong Kong Food Service Ltd, had imported a small quantity of the affected product into Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CFS said.

The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow-up.  Preliminary investigation showed that the importer had imported 10.96 kilograms of the affected product and all of them were sold. The importer has initiated a recall according to the CFS' advice. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer's hotline at 2494 2128 during office hours.
      
"Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns," the spokesman said.

The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to closely monitor the case and take appropriate follow-up action. Investigation is ongoing.
 
Ends/Friday, November 16, 2018