The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority. Regarding an earlier announcement on Candida auris carrier cases, the spokesperson for Princess Margaret Hospital made the following update today (December 24): &… read more
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 24) announced that a prepackaged dried mango sample was detected with lead, a metallic contaminant, at a level which may have contravened the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations. The CFS is following up on the incident.
​Product details are as follows:
Product: Dried Mangoes
Brand: 7D
Place of origin: The Philippines
Manufacturer: FPD Food International, Inc
Retailer: HKTV Mall
Net weight: 200 grams per pack
Best-before date: April 15, 2021
A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from an online shop for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained lead at a level of 1.58 parts per million (ppm). The CFS’ risk assessment revealed that the metal level of the sample is dangerous or prejudicial to health.”
The spokesman added, “Long-term excessive dietary exposure to lead may cause anaemia and damage to the nervous system and kidneys.”
The CFS has informed the retailer concerned of the irregularity and instructed it to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The retailer concerned has also initiated a recall according to the CFS’ instructions. Members of the public may call the retailer’s hotline at 3145 6368 during office hours for enquiries about the recall. The CFS is also tracing the source of the affected product.
According to the Food Adulteration (Metallic Contamination) Regulations (Cap 132V), any person who sells food with metallic contamination in an amount that is dangerous or prejudicial to health is liable upon conviction to a fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months.
The CFS will alert the trade, continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing. read more
South Pacific Airlines Limited and its director were prosecuted by the Labour Department (LD) for failing to pay employees’ wages and the sums awarded by the Labour Tribunal (LT) under the Employment Ordinance (EO). The company and its director pleaded guilty earlier at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts and were each fined $75,000 today (December 24), making a total fine of $150,000. The company and its director were also ordered to pay an outstanding sum of about $4 million to the employees concerned.
The company failed to pay four employees wages totalling about $1.3 million as required by the EO, and five employees the awarded sum of about $4 million, within 14 days after the date set by the LT. The director was convicted for his consent, connivance or neglect in the above offences.
“The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all employers, directors and responsible officers of companies that they have to pay wages to employees within the time limit stipulated in the EO and pay the awarded sums as ordered by the LT or the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board,” a spokesman for the LD said.
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“The LD will not tolerate these offences and will spare no effort in enforcing the law and safeguarding employees’ statutory rights,” the spokesman added. read more
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority: The spokesperson for Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital made the following announcement today (December 24): An 84-year-old patient in a… read more
The Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) announced today (December 24) that, since arts groups have been hard hit by the closure of performance venues of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) as a result of the fourth w… read more