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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (January 29) announced the test results of a seasonal food surveillance project for assessing the safety of Lunar New Year (LNY) food. Among the 634 samples collected, eight samples were found to be unsatisfactory (details of six of them were announced in the Food Safety Report for November). The overall satisfactory rate was 98.7 per cent.
"The CFS collected different types of LNY food, including steamed puddings (e.g. turnip pudding and festive cake), fried dumplings (e.g. sesame balls and crispy triangles), candied fruits and vegetables, glutinous rice balls, melon seeds, dried vegetables, dried soybean products, dried aquatic products and Chinese preserved meat from local supermarkets, grocery stores, market stalls and restaurants in the past few weeks for microbiological and chemical tests," a spokesman for the CFS said.
Microbiological tests covered total bacterial counts and different food poisoning organisms, such as Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. Chemical tests targeted preservatives (e.g. sulphur dioxide, benzoic acid and formaldehyde), colouring matters (e.g. Sudan dyes), antioxidants, metallic contaminants (e.g. cadmium, mercury and arsenic, etc) and toxins (e.g. aflatoxin).
"Test results showed that seven candied lotus seed samples were found to contain a preservative, sulphur dioxide, at levels ranging between 660 parts per million (ppm) and 980 ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 500 ppm. A sample of preserved pummelo was found to contain another preservative, benzoic acid, at a level of 1,710 ppm, exceeding the legal limit of 1,000 ppm," the spokesman said.
"Both sulphur dioxide and benzoic acid are of low toxicity. Normal consumption of the unsatisfactory candied lotus seed samples and the preserved pummelo sample at the detected levels of the two preservatives would be unlikely to pose adverse health effects to consumers. Nevertheless, individuals who are allergic to sulphur dioxide may have symptoms like breathing difficulty, headache and nausea," he said.
Regarding the unsatisfactory samples, the spokesman said that the CFS had taken follow-up action including source tracing, requesting vendors concerned to stop the sale and to dispose of those food items, taking further samples and issuing warning letters. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecution will be taken.
He reminded the food trade to follow Good Manufacturing Practice and comply with legal requirements when using food addictives. Retailers should source food from reliable suppliers to ensure that the ingredients used are within legal standards as well as to maintain a good recording system in accordance with the Food Safety Ordinance to allow source tracing if needed.
The spokesman also advised consumers to buy LNY food from reliable retailers with good hygienic conditions; make sure the packaging of prepackaged cakes and snacks is intact and the products have not expired; refer to the nutrition information on labels for healthier food choices; and pay attention to the hygienic conditions of food containers and personal hygiene of staff when buying non-packaged food (e.g. candied lotus seeds, nuts and melon seeds).
"Consumers should choose food products with natural colour. Bright white pistachios may have been bleached and melon seeds with unnatural gloss may have had mineral oil added. Consumption of these food products can cause gastrointestinal discomfort," he said.
The spokesman also reminded members of the public that festive cakes that are not for immediate consumption should be kept refrigerated. They should pay heed to expiry dates and reheat the products thoroughly before consumption, and discard those with mould or an abnormal smell or taste. Leftovers should not be stored in the refrigerator for longer than three days and should not be reheated more than once. Nuts and melon seeds should not be kept for a long time and mouldy ones should not be eaten.
"During LNY, one should always maintain a balanced diet and avoid foods that are high in energy, sugar, salt, fat or cholesterol," he said.
Ends/Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Issued at HKT 14:31
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