Food Allergen Alert: Stop Consuming certain American Chocolate Blueberries
| Issue Date | 21.8.2013 |
|---|---|
| Source of Information | Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States |
| Food Product | Chocolate Blueberries |
| Product Name and Description | Product name: Dark Chocolate Blueberries
|
| Reason For Issuing Alert | The concerned product was found to contain allergen, milk, which was not declared on the product's food label. The concerned product was being recalled in the United States and has been imported to Hong Kong earlier this month. It was available for sale at three See's Candies retail stores in Hong Kong and has already been taken off the shelf. |
| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety | The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) contacted the local official dealer and alerted the trade of the incident.
CFS staff has conducted checks at the retail stores and, so far, no concerned product has been found. The CFS will continue to monitor the development of the incident and take appropriate actions as and when necessary. |
| Advice to the Trade | Stop selling the concerned product. |
| Advice to Consumers | Milk is a known food allergen. People who are allergic to milk may have an immunologic response like vomiting, diarrhoea and rash upon consumption of food containing this allergen. In severe cases anaphylactic shock may even develop. As for other members of the public, generally speaking, they would not be subject to such reactions when the food in question is consumed.
For consumers who are allergic to milk, they should stop eating the concerned product. Consumers who have recently bought any chocolate blueberries of this brand and are unsure of the product details should also stop eating it if they are allergic to milk. People should seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the concerned product. |
| Further Information | The CFS press release |
Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2013-8-21