The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 8) announced that the vitamin D content of a sample of prepackaged oatmeal for infants and young children aged between 4 and 36 months was found to be inconsistent with the declared value on its nutrition label. The CFS urged the trade to stop selling the affected batch of the product immediately.
 
     Product details are as follows:
 
Product name: Oatmeal Cereal for Baby
Brand: Healthy Times
Place of origin: US
Distributor: Biostime Hong Kong Limited
Net weight: Eight ounces/227 grams per pack
Best-before date: December 1, 2016
 
     "The CFS collected the above-mentioned oatmeal sample from a supermarket in Central under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The result of chemical analysis showed a discrepancy between the actual vitamin D content (4.2 micrograms (µg) per 100 gram) and the declared content (1µg per 14g, i.e. 7.1µg per 100g) on its nutrition label," a spokesman for the CFS said.
 
     "The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and the vendor concerned has stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product according to the instructions of the CFS. The CFS is tracing the source and distribution of the affected product," he added.
 
     According to Section 61 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), if any person falsely describes a food or misleads as to the nature, substance or quality of the food on a label of the food sold by him, he shall be guilty of an offence and be liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.
 
     The CFS will inform the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

Ends/Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:40

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