Centre for Food Safety (CFS)

Bottled preserved bean curd

Product name: Fermented Chili Bean Curd with Sesame Oil
Brand: Ning Chi
Place of origin: Taiwan
Distributor: B & S Company
Best before date: May 30, 2019
Net weight: 140 grams per bottle

The sample was collected from YATA Department Store, Phase III New Town Plaza, Sha Tin for testing under the CFS' routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 470 000 per gram. According to the "Microbiological Guidelines for Food", it is potentially injurious to health or unfit for human consumption if a gram of ready-to-eat food contains more than 100 000 of Bacillus cereus.

Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

The CFS has informed the vendor and distributor concerned of the test result, instructed them to stop the sale of the food concerned and initiate a recall, and is tracing the source and distribution of the food item in question.

The CFS will inform the Taiwan authorities concerned and alert the local trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.

Stop selling the affected batch of the product immediately.

Not to consume the affected product. Seek medical advice if feel sick upon consumption.

The CFS press release

Members of the public may call YATA Department Store's hotline at 2694 1111 or the distributor, B&S Company's hotline, at 2790 8772 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.