CFS announces food safety report for June

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 31) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 4,500 food samples tested were found to be satisfactory except for four unsatisfactory samples which were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.

A CFS spokesman said about 1,600 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, and about 2,900 samples were taken for chemical and radiation level tests.

The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators; the chemical tests included testing for pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others; and the radiation level tests included testing for radioactive caesium and iodine in samples collected from imported food from different regions.

The samples comprised about 1,100 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 400 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 500 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 700 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 800 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 1,000 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).

The four unsatisfactory samples comprised a pickled vegetable sample and a prepackaged sweet radish sample detected with preservatives exceeding the legal limit; a prepackaged preserved mustard greens sample in breach of the food labelling regulations; and an imported chilled chicken sample detected with a veterinary drug residue exceeding the legal limit.

The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the above-mentioned unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.

The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

Separately, to fully prepare in response to Japan's plan of discharging wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the CFS has gradually stepped up radiological tests on imported Japanese food products. For details of the test results, the public can visit the CFS website
(www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/monthly_japan_nuclear_incidents.html).

Ends/Monday, July 31, 2023