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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (November 28) released its fifth Food Safety Report for 2007, which included food surveillance results for September and October.
Announcing the results at a press conference, Assistant Director (Food Surveillance and Control) of the CFS, Dr Miranda S.Y. Lee, said some 13,700 food samples were tested in September and October. Among them, some 4,200 samples were taken for microbiological tests and about 9,000 for chemical tests.
"The overall satisfactory rate is 99.5%, with 70 samples found unsatisfactory," she said.
While microbiological tests cover pathogenic bacteria and viruses, chemical tests are conducted to detect sweeteners, preservatives, metallic contamination, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and pesticides.
Food samples tested included vegetables, fruits and their products; meat, poultry and their products; aquatic products; milk, milk products and frozen confections; and cereals, grains and their products.
Vegetables, fruits and products
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About 5,100 samples of vegetables, fruits and their products were taken for microbiological and chemical tests. There were 14 unsatisfactory samples.
On pesticides, tests were conducted for four main types covering more than 100 pesticides (such as DDT, methamidophos and hexachlorocyclohexane). A water spinach sample was found to contain a trace amount of methamidophos (2.3ppm) and a Chinese celery sample was found to contain a trace amount of isocarbophos (9ppm).
For food additives, tests included preservatives, such as sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid and sorbic acid. One preserved ginger sample was found to contain benzoic acid, which is not permitted to be used in it, at a level of 190ppm.
Six other samples of preserved vegetables (including rakkyo, pickled vegetable and preserved mustard greens) were also found to contain benzoic acid at levels ranging from 360ppm to 1,300ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 250ppm.
Three of these six samples were also found to have sulphur dioxide (from 110ppm to 190ppm), exceeding the legal limit of 100ppm. Another dried tomato sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide at a level of 4,100ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 2,000ppm.
A dried hawthorn sample and a plum sample were found to contain benzoic acid, which is not permitted to be used in them, at levels of 200ppm and 670ppm respectively. The dried hawthorn sample was also found to have sorbic acid (110ppm), which is not permitted to be used in it. Another olive sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide (130ppm) and benzoic acid (450ppm), exceeding the permitted levels (100ppm for sulphur dioxide and 250ppm for benzoic acid).
For colouring matters, Rhodamine B and Orange II, both non-permitted, were found in an olive sample.
For metallic contamination, tests included cadmium, arsenic, and lead. All samples tested were satisfactory.
Meat, poultry and products
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The CFS collected some 1,400 samples of meat, poultry and their products for microbiological and chemical tests. Apart from the nine previously announced unsatisfactory samples of meat detected with sulphur dioxide, there were five unsatisfactory samples.
Regarding the tests for veterinary drug residues, a fresh pork sample was found to contain clenbuterol, which is not permitted, at a level of 0.022ppm.
On food additives, a beef ball sample and a dried pork stick sample were found to contain sorbic acid, which is not permitted in these foods, at levels of 70ppm and 110ppm respectively. All samples tested for colouring matters had satisfactory results.
A plain chicken sample and a pig knuckle sample were found to contain the pathogen Staphylococcus aureus at levels of 23,000 per gramme and 87,000 per gramme respectively.
Aquatic products
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About 1,000 samples (including freshwater fish, seawater fish and shellfish) were analysed for micro-organisms, chemicals and toxins. Apart from the unsatisfactory turbot sample announced earlier, there were four other unsatisfactory results.
Regarding the tests for veterinary drug residues, except for the turbot sample announced earlier, results for the other samples were satisfactory.
A noodlefish sample was found to contain the preservative formaldehyde, which is not permitted to be used, at a level of 170ppm.
Concerning tests for metallic contamination (including mercury, chromium, arsenic and cadmium), a clam meat sample was found to contain chromium (1.6ppm) and an oyster meat sample was found to contain cadmium (3.3ppm), exceeding the permitted levels (1ppm for chromium and 2ppm for cadmium).
For tests on toxins, a red snapper sample was found to contain 250 units of ciguatoxin. All samples tested for shellfish toxins had satisfactory results.
Milk, milk products and frozen confections
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The CFS took some 2,200 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections for microbiological and chemical analyses. No pathogens were detected in them.
Regarding the tests on total bacterial count and coliform organisms, which are hygiene indicators, apart from the three unsatisfactory samples of ice-cream mooncakes announced earlier, there were 23 unsatisfactory results.
Among 22 frozen confection samples (including ice-cream, soft ice-cream, mochi and ice-cream mooncakes), 21 were found to contain coliform organisms ranging from 110 to 400 per gramme, and one was found to have total bacterial count at a level of 62,000 per gramme. Coliform organism was present in 0.001ml of a sample of raw milk, which was also found to contain total bacterial count at a level of 220,000 per ml. All the detected levels were above the legal standards.
For frozen confections, the legal limit for coliform organisms is 100 per gramme while that for total bacterial count is 50,000 per gramme. For raw milk, coliform organisms should not be detected in 0.001ml while the legal limit for total bacterial count is 200,000 per ml.
Cereals, grains and products
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About 1,100 samples were analysed for micro-organisms and chemicals. There were six unsatisfactory results.
On tests for metallic contamination, four rice vermicelli samples were found to contain cadmium at levels ranging from 0.16ppm to 0.25ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 0.1ppm.
For colouring matters, a corn chip sample was found to contain non-permitted Sudan I, and a rice cracker sample was found to contain non-permitted Acid Red 52.
Other food commodities
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Some 2,900 samples including snacks, dim sum, sushi, sashimi, condiments and sauces were also tested. There were five unsatisfactory samples.
A sample of rice roll was found to contain benzoic acid, which is not permitted to be used in it, at a level of 140ppm. A sample of root beer was found to have benzoic acid at a level of 380ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 160ppm.
A sample of fried spaghetti with chicken and a sample of soya drink were found to have the pathogen Bacillus cereus (720,000 per gramme and 1.1 million per ml respectively). Salmonella was present in 25 grammes of a sample of congee with fish.
Summing up
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"Of the current round of food sample results announced, most of the exceedances or breaches were not serious and would not pose immediate health risks," Dr Lee said.
"The samples detected with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella may cause gastrointestinal discomfort such as abdominal pain, vomiting and diarrhoea. The sample detected with ciguatoxin may cause gastrointestinal and neurological discomfort such as numbness of limbs, mouth and lips.
"Total bacterial count and coliform organisms are hygiene indicators. The levels detected in the ice-cream and raw milk samples could be indications of sub-optimal hygienic conditions during processing and production.
"We observe that a number of unsatisfactory samples were related to the use of excessive or non-permitted food additives," she said.
She urged the food trade to use only permitted food additives, follow good manufacturing practice and comply with legal requirements.
Dr Lee advised people not to eat an excessive amount of coral reef fish at any one meal, and not to consume the head, intestines, roe and skin of the fish.
"Regarding the unsatisfactory samples, the CFS has taken follow-up actions, including tracing the source of food in question, asking concerned vendors to stop selling and to dispose of those food items, taking further samples and issuing warning letters. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecution action will also be taken," she said.
Ends/Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:44
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