Tag Archives: China

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (January 15) said that a kind of bottled pesto manufactured in Italy might contain an allergen, peanuts, but it was not declared on the product’s food label. Consumers who are allergic to peanuts are advised not to eat the product concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: Tesco Green Pesto
Brand: Tesco
Place of origin: Italy
Packing size: 190 grams per bottle
Best-before dates: All batches dated on or before November 1, 2022

     “The CFS, through its Food Incident Surveillance System, noted notices issued by the UK, Ireland and Singaorean authorities concerned that several kinds of Tesco pesto products are under recall because they may contain peanuts but the ingredient is not declared on the food label,” a spokesman for the CFS said.

     Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately followed up with major local importers and retailers. Preliminary investigation revealed that an importer, CR Vanguard (HK) Company Limited, had imported some of the affected batches of the abovementioned product which were on sale in its retail outlets. The importer had already stopped sale and removed from shelves the affected batches of the product upon supplier’s notification earlier on. It has also initiated a recall according to CFS’ instructions. Enquiries about the recall can be made to the vendor’s hotline at 2586 3000 during office hours.

     “Peanuts are a known food allergen. Those who are allergic to it may develop symptoms like vomiting, diarrhoea, asthma and rash upon consumption. In severe cases anaphylactic shock may even develop,” the spokesman said.

     He advised consumers who are allergic to peanuts not to consume the products concerned. Those who feel unwell after consuming them should seek medical treatment.

     The Food and Drugs (Composition and Labelling) Regulations (Cap 132W) require that all prepackaged food for sale in Hong Kong should list out the food’s ingredients in its label. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment.

     The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is on-going. read more

     An operational event at Taishan Nuclear Power Station (TNPS) was reported on the website of Taishan Nuclear Power Joint Venture Co Ltd (TNPJVC), a spokesperson for the Security Bureau said today (January 15).  &nbs… read more

     The Department of Health (DH) today (January 15) conducted an operation against the sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product, during which a 25-year-old woman was arrested by the Police for illegal sale of an unregistered pharmaceutical product and a Part 1 poison.

     Acting upon a public complaint, a medicinal patch labelled in Japanese as containing felbinac, a Part 1 poison under the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (PPO) (Cap 138), was found being offered for sale via a social media platform. The operation today revealed that the product label does not bear a Hong Kong pharmaceutical product registration number. The investigation is ongoing.     

     Felbinac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug used topically to relieve pain. It should only be used under the advice of healthcare professionals and be supplied at pharmacies under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. Inappropriate use of felbinac may cause erythema and dermatitis. 

     According to the PPO, all pharmaceutical products must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be legally sold in the market. Illegal sale or possession of unregistered pharmaceutical products and Part 1 poisons are criminal offences. The maximum penalty for each offence is a fine of $100,000 and two years’ imprisonment.

     The DH strongly urges the public not to buy or use unregistered pharmaceutical products as their safety, quality and efficacy are not guaranteed. All registered pharmaceutical products should carry a Hong Kong registration number on the label in the format of “HK-XXXXX”.     

     Those who have purchased the above product should stop using it and consult healthcare professionals for advice if in doubt or feeling unwell after use. They can submit the product to the DH’s Drug Office at Room 1801, Wu Chung House, 213 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, during office hours for disposal.

  

     The Private Columbaria Affairs Office (PCAO) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) cracked down on a suspected illegal private columbarium in Hung Hom this afternoon (January 15).    &nbsp… read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at noon today (January 15), public hospitals had reported to the Department of Health (DH) the admission of four patients in the past 24 hours who have bee… read more