A kind of bottled fermented bean curd contaminated with Bacillus cereus
| Issue Date | 25.12.2014 |
|---|---|
| Source of Information | Centre for Food Safety (CFS) |
| Food Product | Fermented bean curd |
| Product Name and Description | Product name: Pearl River Bridge Chili Fermented Beancurd |
| Reason For Issuing Alert | A sample of bottled fermented bean curd was collected at a supermarket in To Kwa Wan for testing under CFS’ regular Food Surveillance Programme. Test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 760 000 per grammes. According to the 'Microbiological Guidelines for Food', it is potentially injurious to health or unfit for human consumption if a gramme of ready-to-eat food contains more than 100 000 of Bacillus cereus. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea. |
| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety | The CFS has taken follow-up actions on the unsatisfactory sample, including informing the vendor concerned of the test result, instructing the vendor to stop the sale of the food concerned as well as tracing the source and distribution of the food item in question. Upon CFS’ request, the importer/distributor has stopped the sale of the affected batch of the product and conducted a recall. The CFS will inform the Mainland authorities and the local trade, continue to investigate and take appropriate actions. |
| Advice to the Trade | Stop selling the product concerned immediately. |
| Advice to Consumers | Stop consuming the product concerned immediately. Medical advice should be sought if they feel sick upon consumption. |
| Further Information |
Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2014-12-25