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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) completed microbiological and chemical tests on a further 234 samples of Lunar New Year food. Most of the test results were satisfactory, with 225 samples (96%) meeting compliance.
This follows test results on Lunar New Year food items released last week in which 426 out of a total of 432 samples were found satisfactory.
The tested samples in the current batch included festive cakes, turnip puddings, sesame balls, crispy triangles, melon seeds, glutinous rice balls, vegetarian foods, preserved meat and dried seafood. The chemical tests targeted preservatives, colouring matters, sweeteners, metallic contamination, pesticides and toxins. Microbiological tests covered pathogenic bacteria, such as Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella.
All the samples tested passed the microbiological tests. In the chemical tests, there were nine unsatisfactory samples.
Three samples of sweetened winter-melon, two samples of bamboo fungus, a sample of dried daylily flower and a sample of sweetened mandarin were found to contain the preservative sulphur dioxide at levels ranging from 690ppm to 5,100ppm.
The permitted levels of sulphur dioxide for sweetened mandarin and the other three types of food are 100ppm and 2,000ppm respectively.
A sample of festive cake was found to contain the preservative benzoic acid at 1,800ppm. This preservative is not permitted in such food.
A sample of glutinous rice ball (with peanut filling) was found to contain aflatoxins at a level of 0.051ppm. The permitted level of aflatoxins in peanut products is 0.02ppm.
"Sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid are commonly used in food as preservatives, but only allowed in specified foods under the laws of Hong Kong. Sulphur dioxide is also used as a bleaching agent. As for aflatoxins, they may be found in agricultural commodities such as peanuts, nuts and cereals if they are contaminated by a specific type of mould. Under favourable conditions of temperature and humidity, the moulds could produce the toxin.
Concerning the sulphur dioxide content in the bamboo fungus and dried daylily flower samples, most of this chemical, which is water soluble, can be removed after thorough soaking, washing and cooking. As for the other samples found containing sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid or aflatoxin, the levels detected are low and should not cause immediate health effects upon normal consumption.
Regarding the nine unsatisfactory samples, the CFS has issued warning letters to the shops concerned and is tracing the source of the food in question. The centre has also requested those shops to stop selling the concerned products," a CFS spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the centre has also completed two targeted food surveillance projects, one on aflatoxins in nuts and cereal products, the other on potassium bromate in flour-made products.
For aflatoxins, 144 samples of nuts and cereal products, such as peanuts, peanut butter, almonds and cereals, were tested. All the results were satisfactory.
As for the project on potassium bromate in flour-made products, all the 55 samples tested, including biscuits, bread, potato chips, prawn crackers and corn flakes, were not detected with this non-permitted food additive.
Ends/Friday, January 25, 2008
Issued at HKT 18:52
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