The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (September 30) that a sample of Hainanese chicken rice was found to contain a pathogen, Salmonella. The CFS is following up on the incident.

     "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a restaurant in Wan Chai for testing. The test result showed the presence of Salmonella in 25 grams of the sample, exceeding the criterion of the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, which states that Salmonella should not be detected in 25g of a ready-to-eat food sample," a spokesman for the CFS said.

     The CFS has instantly deployed staff to the restaurant concerned for investigation, and has informed the restaurant concerned of the irregularity. The restaurant concerned has already stopped selling and discarded the affected product according to the CFS's instruction. The CFS has provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the restaurant, and requested it to improve the food preparation process as well as carrying out thorough cleaning and disinfection according to the CFS's advice.

     According to section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), all food available for sale in Hong Kong, locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     "Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The effects on infants, young children, the elderly and people with a weak immune system could be more severe and may even lead to death," the spokesman said.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. The investigation is ongoing.

Ends/Wednesday, September 30, 2026
Issued at HKT 20:38

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