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CFS finds trace amount of antibiotic in honey sample
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     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 15) announced that a sample of bottled honey was detected to contain an antibiotic. The CFS is following up on the case.
 
Details of the product are as follows:
 
Product name: Natural Bee Honey
Brand: Hero
Place of origin: Egypt
Importer: Sims Trading Company Ltd
Packing: 12.7 ounces/360 grams per bottle
Best-before date: September 18, 2020
 
     "Following up on a case referred by a relevant organisation, the CFS collected the above sample from a supermarket in Hung Hom for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained an antibiotic, metronidazole, at a level of 75 parts per billion. The CFS has notified the vendor concerned of the test result and instructed it to stop selling the affected product. The Centre is tracing the source and distribution of the food in question," a CFS spokesman said.
 
     "According to Codex Alimentarius Commission, food should not contain residues of metronidazole because it may constitute a hazard to the health of the consumers," he added.
 
     According to section 52 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance, any person sells to the prejudice of a purchaser any food which is not of the nature, substance or quality of the food demanded by the purchaser shall be guilty of an offence, which is liable to a maximum fine of $10,000 and imprisonment for three months upon conviction.
 
     The CFS will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action to safeguard public health. Investigation is on-going.
 
Ends/Friday, June 15, 2018
Issued at HKT 19:01
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