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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) is conducting investigation into the source of a series of suspected food poisoning cases involving consumption of raw oysters in several food premises.
¡°Initial investigations by CFS found that the oysters concerned were supplied by the same supplier, Worldwide Seafood Ltd. We have requested the supplier to stop distributing the product,¡± a CFS spokesman said today (October 11).
The CFS reminded retail outlets to take the following steps when preparing and selling raw oysters:
* obtain oysters from credible sources;
* use separate equipment for the preparation of oysters;
* keep oysters separated from other food items at a temperature between zero and four degrees Celsius.
In another development, the spokesman said one of the two samples of eel products taken from a supplier, Ichiban Pacific (HK) Ltd., was found to contain malachite green at a level of 3,300 ppb.
This was a follow-up action taken by CFS following recent blitz operations in which a supplier alleged that their eel products found to contain malachite green were supplied by Ichiban Pacific (HK) Ltd.
¡°The Centre has seized some 1,050 kilogrammes of eel products at Ichiban Pacific¡¯s premises in Tsuen Wan. We are still following up the case,¡± the spokesman said.
Under the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations, no food sold in Hong Kong should contain malachite green.
Ends/Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 18:56
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