Not to consume a kind of Italian wine which might contain monoethylene glycol (MEG)
| Issue Date | 29.6.2012 |
|---|---|
| Source of Information | European Commission (EC) |
| Food Product | Wine |
| Product Name and Description | Product name: Vino Spumante Brut Rosè
|
| Reason For Issuing Alert | The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the EC that a kind of Italian wine was found by the German authorities to contain MEG. The level detected was 570 milligrams per litre. Leakage of MEG from a cooling device in the winery of the Italian packer/filler concerned could have caused the contamination of the wine. That product has not been imported to Hong Kong. However, a batch of another kind of wine produced by the same packer/filler, which had been stored in the same cooling device and might have also been contaminated, has been exported to Hong Kong. |
| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety | The CFS has alerted the trade about the incident and will continue to monitor the situation and take appropriate follow-up action. |
| Advice to the Trade | Stop selling the affected batch of the product. |
| Advice to Consumers | Not to consume the affected batch of the product.
The MEG is of low acute toxicity. In rare circumstances, excessive exposure to MEG may cause damage to the central nervous system as well as affect functions of the heart and kidney. Nevertheless, usual consumption of the wine with MEG at the level detected by the German authorities would not pose any significant health risks to consumers. |
| Further Information | The CFS press release |
Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2012-6-29