Imported Clotted cream samples detected with total bacterial count exceeding legal limit

​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (October 16) that samples of prepackaged pasteurized Cornish clotted cream imported from the United Kingdom (UK) were detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The affected batch of product has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Cornish Clotted Cream
Brand: M&S
Place of origin: UK
Sole importer: Alf Retail Hong Kong Limited
Packing: 227 grams per pack
Use-by date: October 18, 2024

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned samples at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial count of the samples were 620,400, 1,128,000 and 1,504,000 per milliliter respectively. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30,000 bacteria per millilitre.

The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer's warehouse. It has not entered the local market. The CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other types of similar products of the same brand being sold in the market are not affected.
　
The spokesman said that the total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning.
　
The CFS has informed the British authorities of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

Ends/Wednesday, October 16, 2024