Not to consume a kind of bottled fruit juice drink contaminated with patulin
| Issue Date |
22.5.2020 |
| Source of Information |
Centre for Food Safety (CFS) |
| Food Product |
Bottled fruit juice drink |
| Product Name and Description |
Product name: DR. DETOX - ORIGINAL
Brand: bless
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Distributor: Bless International Group Limited
Volume: 270 millilitres
Use-by date: July 5, 2020 |
| Reason For Issuing Alert |
- Following up on a food complaint, the CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at a retail outlet in Mong Kok for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained patulin at a level of 63 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the action level of 50 ppb adopted by the CFS.
- Patulin mostly occurs in rotten apple and its products. Animal studies showed that ingesting high doses of patulin can induce liver, spleen and kidney damage, as well as toxicity to the immune system. For humans, nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances and vomiting have been reported.
|
| Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety |
- The CFS has informed the manufacturer/distributor concerned of the irregularity, and the manufacturer/distributor has stopped sale and removed from shelves all batches of the affected product and initiated a recall of the affected batch of the product according to the CFS' instruction.
- Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.
- The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.
|
| Advice to the Trade |
- Stop using or selling the affected products immediately if they possess them.
|
| Advice to Consumers |
- Not to consume the affected products.
|
| Further Information |
The CFS press release
- Members of the public may call the company's hotline at 2412 1008 for enquiries about the recall during office hours.
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Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2020-5-22