The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 31) instructed the trade to suspend the import of shellfishes harvested in area Étang de Thau in France. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately should they possess it. A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS noted a notification from the Rappel Conso of France that shellfishes harvested in area Étang de Thau in France were suspected to be contaminated with norovirus and under recall. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately conducted investigation and contacted local major importers for follow-up. A preliminary investigation by the CFS found that a local importer, City Super Limited, had imported and sold the raw oysters harvested in the area concerned. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has immediately suspended the import into and sale within Hong Kong of shellfishes harvested in the area concerned, and instructed the importer to stop sale of, remove from shelves and recall the affected oysters. Members of the public may call the hotline of City Super Limited at 2736 3866 during office hours for enquiries about the recall of the products concerned." The trade should also stop selling other shellfishes products from the affected area if they possess them. The spokesman pointed out that as shellfishes including oysters feed by filtering a large volume of seawater, pathogens can accumulate in them if they are grown in or harvested from contaminated water. Raw or partially cooked shellfishes are high-risk foods. Susceptible groups, such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems or liver diseases, should avoid eating raw oysters. The CFS will inform the French authorities and will also notify the local trade. It will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health. An investigation is ongoing. Ends/Wednesday, December 31, 2025 Source of Information (Centre for Food Safety: https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20251231_12085.html)

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 8) announced the test results of a recently completed surveillance project assessing the food safety of hot pot cuisine. A total of 345 hot pot food samples were collected, and all passed the tests. A CFS spokesman said, "Hong Kong people like eating hot pot meals. As food additives such as colouring matters and preservatives may be used during the making of hot pot ingredients, beverages and sauces, the CFS conducted this project in a bid to provide timely food safety information to consumers and the trade." The CFS collected different kinds of hot pot food samples, including meat and meat products (such as beef balls and pork balls), aquatic and related products (such as fish balls, shrimp balls and cuttlefish balls), bean products (such as dried bean curds, tofu and soya bean sticks), noodles, soup bases, beverages (such as juice and sour plum drinks) and sauces, from restaurants, fresh provision shops, supermarkets, groceries, market stalls and retailers (including online retailers) for chemical and microbiological testing. Chemical tests included testing for colouring matters, preservatives and metallic contaminants, while microbiological tests for ready-to-eat food included testing for Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and coagulase-positive staphylococci. The spokesman reminded the public that food safety is a shared responsibility and that all those involved in the food supply chain - from farms and food manufacturers to food handlers and consumers - should put in place safety measures. He advised the trade not to entertain orders beyond handling capacity. The trade should also comply with legal requirements, follow Good Manufacturing Practices, use permitted food additives in an appropriate manner, and check the quality of food and ingredients upon delivery. Furthermore, the spokesman advised food handlers and consumers to apply the following Five Keys to Food Safety when handling and preparing food: Choose wisely---------------* Patronise reliable shops and select fresh and hygienic foods for hot pot ingredients;* For prepackaged foods or soup bases, check whether the packaging is intact and if the selected foods are expired; and* For online purchases, buy from reliable online shops with licences, and pay attention to the nature and potential risks associated with food items purchased online. Keep clean------------* Observe good food, environmental and personal hygiene when preparing foods. All food ingredients must be thoroughly washed;* Poultry meat, pork and beef should be washed and sliced into thin strips for easy cooking;* For shellfish like scallops and geoduck, scrub the shells thoroughly and remove the internal organs;* Before eating and handling food ingredients, wash hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds; and* If there is a wound on the hand, cover it properly with a waterproof bandage or put on a glove before handling food. Separate raw and cooked food----------------------------------* When shopping for hot pot ingredients, buy prepackaged foods first and raw meat, poultry and seafood last;* When shopping for or delivering food, raw foods should be kept separately from other ready-to-eat foods or cooked foods to prevent cross-contamination; and* Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process. Use separate sets of chopsticks and utensils with different appearances to handle raw and cooked foods, and avoid contact between raw and cooked foods on the table to prevent cross-contamination. Cook thoroughly------------------* During the whole eating process, take thoroughly cooked food out of the pot only when the soup is boiling completely. Whenever water or soup is added to the pot, wait until it is boiling hot before adding food for cooking;* Shrimps should be fully cooked until the shells turn red and the flesh turns white and opaque. Shellfish should be boiled until their shells open and boiled for a further three to five minutes afterwards. Shucked oysters should be cooked in the boiling water for at least three minutes before consumption;* Do not consume cooked foods that are mixed with unpasteurised raw eggs to prevent pathogenic or antimicrobial-resistant micro-organisms; and* Condiments such as soy sauce, vinegar, wine, chili and wasabi cannot kill bacteria or parasites that may be present in hot pot ingredients. Safe temperature--------------------* Most hot pot ingredients should be stored in a refrigerator at 4 degrees Celsius or below, while frozen foods should be stored in a freezer at -18 degrees C or below; and* Do not thaw frozen foods at room temperature, as bacteria may multiply rapidly in food. It is preferable to defrost frozen foods in a refrigerator, microwave oven or under running water. Thawed foods should be cooked as soon as possible. "People should also pay attention to the amount of food consumed and follow a balanced diet when having hot pot meals. To reduce fat intake, it is preferable to choose a clear soup base as it contains less fat than bone, satay and mala soup bases. Eat vegetables first to fill oneself up and then meat to prevent overeating. Members of the public should also eat more vegetables with high dietary fibre and less fatty meats and animal offal, and use less sauce and condiments. If there are nutrition labels for hot pot products, make healthier food choices by referring to their nutritional contents and choosing those lower in fat, sodium and sugars," the spokesman said. The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 8) announced the test results of the surveillance project on hot pot cuisine. The test results of 345 samples collected were satisfactory. Ends/Monday, December 8, 2025 Source of Information (Centre for Food Safety: https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20251208_12029.html)

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 2) announced the results of a seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes. Among 365 samples tested, except for one sample found with sodium content inconsistent with the declared value on its nutrition label, all the remaining samples passed the tests. The CFS had announced the irregularity earlier, and the vendor concerned has also stopped selling the relevant batch of the affected product. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence. A spokesman for the CFS said that samples covering traditional, snowy, ice-cream and other types of mooncakes had been collected from various retailers (including online retailers) and food factories for chemical and microbiological tests and nutrition content analysis. Chemical tests covered colouring matters, aflatoxins, metallic contaminants, preservatives, antioxidants and mineral oil. Microbiological tests covered various pathogens and hygiene indicators. For nutrition content analyses (covering the contents of energy, protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates, sodium and sugars), the samples were tested to see if they complied with the food labelling requirements. The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive consumption of mooncakes as they are generally high in sugar and fat. Some types of mooncakes also contain relatively high levels of salt. Eating too much fat will increase the risk of being overweight and obese, while dietary sugar intake is a determinant of body weight and dental caries. In addition, excessive sodium intake will increase the risk of developing hypertension, fatal stroke and coronary heart disease. He advised people to refer to nutrition labels of mooncakes, particularly on the sugar, salt and fat contents, to make a healthier choice. People should avoid choosing mooncakes with high levels of fat or sugar, i.e. containing more than 20 grams of total fat or more than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. As for reducing salt intake, people can choose low-sodium mooncakes, i.e. containing no more than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100g of food. The spokesman said that people should consider their health conditions and consume mooncakes in an appropriate amount during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He advised people to share mooncakes with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste mooncakes of different flavours and avoid overconsumption. Members of the public should heed the following points in the purchase, storage and consumption of mooncakes to prevent food-borne diseases: The spokesman also reminded food traders to adhere to the Good Hygiene Practices. Apart from purchasing food ingredients from reliable suppliers, they should also comply with legal requirements when using food additives. "Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo a baking process at high temperature, need to be handled hygienically during processing, transportation and storage to avoid contamination and growth of germs," he said. The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (October 2) announced the test results of the seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes. Among 365 samples tested, except for one sample found with sodium content inconsistent with the declared value on its nutrition label, all the remaining samples passed the tests. Ends/Thursday, October 2, 2025 Source of Information (Centre for Food Safety: https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20251002_11864.html)

To ensure food safety and hygiene awareness among schools and licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes, and to cater for the new school year, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) and the Environmental Hygiene Branch of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) stepped up inspections of licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes in various districts of Hong Kong and collected food samples for testing. A spokesman for the FEHD said today (September 19), "Since July, the Department has inspected 42 licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes, and reminded operators of the proper way of handling school lunch boxes. At present, the CFS has collected 84 lunch box samples from those licensed food factories for microbiological examinations. Test results of all samples were satisfactory. The operation is ongoing." Furthermore, to safeguard food safety on campuses, the CFS has arranged a series of online seminars for schools and lunch box suppliers since June, highlighting food safety hazards such as choking and food allergies, and emphasising the need for vigilance among teaching staff and food handlers in schools, as well as reminding lunch box suppliers to adhere to good hygiene practices when preparing food. At the same time, schools are also reminded to order lunch boxes from suppliers that hold a valid Food Factory Licence issued by the FEHD and are endorsed to provide lunch boxes. Lunch box suppliers are also reminded to establish a food safety plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to lower the risks of food contamination. The CFS has published "A Practical Guide for Ensuring Food Safety in Schools and Childcare Facilities", to which schools and childcare facilities can refer when choosing lunchbox suppliers and ensuring food safety on campus. Lunch box caterers can make use of the guideline "Developing a School Food Safety Plan Based on HACCP system (for School Lunch Box Caterers)" to learn more about how to enhance the safety of lunch box production. For further details, please visit the "Safe Food at School" thematic webpage. To ensure food safety and hygiene awareness among schools and licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes, and to cater for the new school year, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has inspected 42 licensed food factories supplying school lunch boxes since July, and has reminded operators of the proper way of handling school lunch boxes. The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has arranged a series of online seminars for schools and lunch box suppliers since June, highlighting food safety hazards such as choking and food allergies, and emphasising the need for vigilance among teaching staff and food handlers in schools, as well as reminding lunch box suppliers to adhere to good hygiene practices when preparing food. Ends/Friday, September 19, 2025 Source of Information (Centre for Food Safety: https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/press/20250919_11844.html)