Ethylene oxide found in prepackaged white pepper powder sample from India

Issue Date 5.10.2023
Source of Information

Centre for Food Safety
Food Product

White pepper powder
Product Name and Description

Product name: Organic WHITE PEPPER POWDER

Brand: Passion by Mama

Place of origin: India

Net weight: 55 grams per bottle

Retailer: Healthy Express

Best-before date: September 29, 2023
Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) collected the above-mentioned sample from a retail outlet in Tsuen Wan for testing when following up on a related incident. The test result showed that the sample contained a pesticide, ethylene oxide.  
  • The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified ethylene oxide as a Group 1 carcinogen.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed them to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. According to the CFS's instructions, the retailer concerned has initiated a recall on the affected batch of the product.
  • The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
Advice to the Trade

Stop using or selling the affected batch of the product concerned immediately if they possess it.
Advice to Consumers

Not to consume the affected batch of the product if they have bought any.
Further Information

The CFS press release

Members of the public may call the retailer's hotline at 3565 1770 / 9555 5280 during office hours for enquiries about the recall of the product concerned.

Centre for Food Safety
Food and Environmental Hygiene Department
2023-10-5

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