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Ice-cream sample detected with coliform count exceeding legal limit
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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 18) announced that a sample of locally made prepackaged ice-cream was found to contain a coliform count exceeding the legal limit. Follow-up is in progress. Members of the trade in possession of the affected product should stop using or selling it.

     Details of the product are as follows:
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Product name: Fruttato Gelato - Chocolate
Manufacturer: Pay & Pay Ice Cream International Company Limited
Net volume: 60 millilitres
Use-by date: July 2, 2016

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS, through its routine Food Incident Surveillance System, learned from a report of the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine that the coliform counts of batches of ice-cream from the brand Fruttato imported from Hong Kong exceeded its standards. The CFS followed up immediately and collected samples of the ice-cream from the brand's production plant in Kwai Chung for testing. The test result showed that a sample of the above-mentioned batch contained a coliform count of 260 per gram, exceeding the legal limit."

     Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap 132 sub leg AC), each gram of frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform organisms. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the coliform count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.

     "The CFS has informed the manufacturer concerned of the irregularity. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has also instructed the manufacturer to recall all batches of ice-cream, suspend production, review its manufacturing process and carry out thorough cleaning at its production plant," the spokesman said.

     The spokesman also reminded people to seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the product concerned.

     The CFS will inform the local trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate actions to safeguard food safety and public health.

Ends/Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:22

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