CFS urges public not to consume a kind of prepackaged pistachio paste suspected to be contaminated with aflatoxin
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Product details are as follows:
Product name: Pure Pistachio Paste Deluxe 100%
Brand: Convivia
Place of origin: Italy
Net Weight: 200 grams
Best-before date: February 17, 2027
Retailer: UK Store by HKTVmall
"The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from an online vendor for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that it contained aflatoxin at a level of 15 micrograms per kilogram," a spokesman for the CFS said.
Under the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap 132AF), the maximum concentration for aflatoxin in any other food is 10 micrograms per kilogram.
The CFS has informed the online vendor and retailer concerned of the unsatisfactory test result. The vendor concerned has stopped sales and removed the affected batch of the product from shelves. The retailer concerned has initiated a recall according to the CFS's instructions. Members of the public may call its hotline at 3145 6888 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
The World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified naturally occurring aflatoxins as carcinogenic to humans, and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives advised that intake of aflatoxins should be reduced to levels as low as reasonably possible although no health-based guidance value has been set. Aflatoxins can lead to liver cancer after long-term ingestion, and the risk for hepatitis B carriers is relatively high.
The spokesman urged members of the public who had bought the affected product to stop consuming it. To avoid excessive intake of mycotoxins, people should maintain a balanced and varied diet to minimise the risk from a small range of food items, and to avoid consuming food that looks mouldy or damaged.
The CFS has alerted the trade, continuing to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.
Ends/Thursday, November 27, 2025
Issued at HKT 20:15
Issued at HKT 20:15
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