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In response to media enquiries about the follow-up on a Hong Kong food supplier which might be connected to some food poisoning cases in Macau, a spokesman for the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) said today (September 8):
"According to information provided by the supplier (Pearlwin Limited), the CFS learned initially that about 1,560 boxes of oysters might be involved. Of these, about 500 boxes, which are still in cold storage, were marked and sealed for tests by the CFS. About 420 boxes were exported to Macau and some 300 to other places. The CFS would inform the relevant authorities about the situation.
Forty-three boxes were sold through local distributors between August 5 to 25. While seven of them were recalled, the other 36 boxes were distributed through three distributors, namely, '¥ÃÂצ榳¤½¥q', Legend Provisions Ltd., and Shu Kee Seafood Co. Ltd. The CFS is tracing their retail outlets. We have also informed the trade of the latest development and appealed to them to stop selling oysters supplied by these distributors.
The CFS is also following up with the supplier on the distribution of the remaining some 300 boxes of oysters."
Ends/Monday, September 8, 2008
Issued at HKT 21:17
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