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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 30) announced the results of a recently completed targeted food surveillance project on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food. A total of 400 samples of ready-to-eat food, including milk, cheese, frozen confections, cold cuts, cooked meat, fruit, salad, sashimi, smoked seafood, sandwiches and chilled or frozen bakery products, were collected from over 200 different locations, including food premises, supermarkets, convenience stores and retail outlets for testing for Listeria monocytogenes. All samples passed the test.
"The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) has recorded 26 cases of Listeriosis yearly in the past two years. It is the highest number recorded since 2008 when Listeriosis became a notifiable disease. This disease is usually caused by eating food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in the newborns," a spokesman for the CFS said.
"The CFS has been taking food samples from the market for years to test for Listeria monocytogenes. Other than some occasional detections of the pathogens from samples of smoked salmon and ham in earlier years,the CFS has noted no incessant trend of Listeria monocytogenes contamination. Nevertheless, in view of the apparent rising trend of Listeriosis, the CFS has conducted targeted surveillance since 2013 on Listeria Monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food kept under refrigeration to draw public attention to the possibility of Listeria monocytogenes contamination in high-risk food. Actually, Listeria monocytogenes may continue to grow slowly at refrigerated temperatures as low as zero degree Celsius. Refrigerated ready-to-eat food with a long shelf life is a potential high-risk item for Listeriosis as prolonged storage in a refrigerator (excluding freezer) may allow Listeria monocytogenes to have sufficient time to grow and thus increase the consumers' risk of contracting Listeriosis. In view of this, the CFS, apart from continuing its targeted surveillance on Listeria monocytogenes in ready-to-eat food, has enhanced the sampling of high-risk food by expanding the number and type of samples collected," the spokesman said.
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Despite the fact that none of the samples tested in the surveillance project contained excessive Listeria monocytogenes, the spokesman reminded people not to treat the disease lightly. People should always maintain food and personal hygiene. Those belonging to the high-risk groups, i.e. pregnant women, newborns, elderly and those with a weaker immune system, should avoid high-risk foods, for example, refrigerated ready-to-eat foods with a long shelf life (particularly soft cheeses made from raw milk).
"The CFS has embarked on a risk assessment study on the microbiological quality of prepackaged, long shelf life, refrigerated ready-to-eat products. The samples were refrigerated until laboratory analysis of their microbiological quality, particularly the level of Listeria monocytogenes, was conducted within the week in which the samples were to expire. The results will be released in due course. The CFS will continue to enhance publicity and education towards high-risk groups, particularly pregnant women, for example, through production and dissemination of related electronic publications and leaflets. The CFS will also continue its collaboration with the CHP in the investigation of Listeriosis, and take samples of suspected affected food for analysis when necessary," the spokesman said.
The spokesman also appealed to the food trade to properly handle food through applying the five keys to food safety, for instance, they should keep perishable foods in a refrigerator at four degrees Celsius or below and avoid cross-contamination. They should also estimate the demand for each food carefully to avoid over-production. Moreover, the trade should provide sufficient information on the labels of prepackaged food for consumers to make informed food choices.
Ends/Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Issued at HKT 14:40
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