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The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (August 2) provided an update on its investigation into four suspected food poisoning cases announced on July 31, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.
Subsequent to its follow-up investigation, the CHP has identified six more clusters of suspected food poisoning who claimed relating to sandwiches of "Horng Ryen Jen". The newly reported clusters involved seven males and nine females aged three to 69. They developed gastroenteritis symptoms including diarrhoea, abdominal pain, fever, vomiting, nausea, weakness, dizziness and dehydration about five to 29 hours after consuming sandwiches between July 26 and 29. These sandwiches were ordered online, bought from exhibition booths in Kowloon City and Ma On Shan, and a supermarket in Kowloon Bay respectively between July 26 and 29. Ten of them sought medical consultation, four required hospitalisation and three of them have been discharged.
All affected persons are now in stable condition. Investigations are proceeding.
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department urged members of the public not to consume the affected product, regardless of batches. The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately.
According to Section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), all food for sale in Hong Kong, whether locally produced or imported, should be fit for human consumption. An offender is subject to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for six months upon conviction.
CFS will continue to liaise with the Taiwan authority and the local trade to trace the source of the incriminated food, and take action as appropriate.
"Prolonged storage of food at room temperature may allow pathogens to grow and produce toxins. Members of the public should avoid consuming cooked or ready-to-eat food that has been kept at room temperature for several hours," a spokesman for the CHP said.
To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
* Eat thoroughly cooked food;
* Avoid eating raw seafood;
* Buy food from reliable and licensed restaurants and food suppliers only;
* Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
* Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
* Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.
Ends/Sunday, August 2, 2015
Issued at HKT 21:39
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