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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 12) urged the public not to consume a batch of smoked paprika powder, imported from Spain, as the product might have been contaminated with salmonella, a pathogen. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.
Details of the product are as follows:
Name: La Chinata smoked paprika powder
Best before date : October 2016
Batch no. L-320
Net weight: 70 grams
"The Centre received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that a batch of La Chinata smoked paprika powder was found to have been contaminated with salmonella. The Spanish manufacturer concerned has initiated a recall of the product. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a small volume of the affected product has been imported into Hong Kong," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The CFS has contacted Fine Wine 33 & Gourmet Limited, the importer concerned in Hong Kong as notified by the RASFF. According to the information of the importer, a total of 745 cans of the affected product have been imported and stored in their warehouse. The Centre has marked and sealed all the stocks and no affected product has entered the market.
For the sake of prudence, the CFS will also alert the trade to the incident and instruct them to stop using or selling the affected product immediately should they have imported and still possess the product.
"Salmonella infection may cause fever and gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. The effects on infants, young children, the elderly and patients with a weak immune system could be more severe and sometimes may even lead to death," the spokesman said.
The CFS will continue to follow up the case and take appropriate actions.
Ends/Friday, June 12, 2015
Issued at HKT 22:15
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