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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (January 12) announced that the colony count of a chocolate milk beverage sample manufactured in the Netherlands was found exceeding the legal limit. The CFS has prohibited the import into and sale within Hong Kong of the affected milk beverage product with immediate effect to safeguard public health and food safety.
Details of the product are as follows:
Product name: UHT Chocolate Milk Beverage
Brand: DailyDutch
Country of origin: The Netherlands
Importer: PrizeMart Limited
Packing size: 1 litre per pack
Use-by date: August 4, 2016
A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected samples of the above-mentioned chocolate milk beverage at the import level for testing under its regular Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that one of the samples contained a colony count of more than 10, exceeding the legal limit under the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ)."
He added, "The fact that the total colony count exceeds the legal limit indicates unsatisfactory hygienic conditions, but does not mean it would lead to food poisoning."
The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. According to the information provided by the importer, all affected products were being kept at the importer's warehouse and did not enter the market.
Meanwhile, as the same consignment of import contained two other milk products of the same brand, for the sake of prudence, the CFS has collected samples of the milk products for testing and the importer voluntarily has held all the products concerned pending the test results.
The CFS will inform the Netherlands authorities of the import ban and request them to investigate the case. The Centre will continue to closely follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.
Ends/Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Issued at HKT 19:15
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