Not to consume a batch of bottled apple juice drink contaminated with patulin

Issue Date 29.5.2020
Source of Information

Routine Surveillance Programme of the Centre for Food Safety

Food Product

A bottled apple juice drink imported from Australia

Product Name and Description

Product name: Cold Pressed Granny Smith Apple

Brand: Presha Fruit

Country of origin: Australia

Importer/Distributor: A.S. Watson Group (HK) Ltd.

Volume: 350ml per bottle

Best-before date: August 7, 2020

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The test result showed that a sample collected from a supermarket in To Kwa Wan contained patulin at a level of 110 parts per billion (ppb), exceeding the action level of 50 ppb adopted by the CFS. The action level is the same as the standard of the Codex Alimentarius Commission on patulin in apple or apple juice.
  • 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 importer, PARKnSHOP (HK) Limited and distributor concerned of the irregularity. The importer and distributor have 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.
  • The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. 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 distributor's hotline at 2606 8658 for enquiries about the recall during office hours.

Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2020-5-29

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