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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, subsequent to the detection of excessive total bacterial counts in two samples of Trappist Dairy products earlier, has been following up on the incident closely. This has included instructing the retailer concerned to recall the affected batch of the Trappist Dairy Fresh Milk product upon detection of the first unsatisfactory sample of fresh milk on August 21, and instructing the manufacturer concerned to expand the scope of the recall to include all milk drinks with use-by dates on or before September 1, 2015, upon finding an excessive total bacterial count in a sample of Trappist Dairy Hi-calcium Low Fat Milk Drink on August 28. The CFS today (September 1) announced that the total bacterial count of a sample of a Trappist Dairy milk drink under the above-mentioned recall on August 28, collected on August 25, was found exceeding the legal limit.
Details of the product concerned are as follows:
Product name: Trappist Dairy Carrot Low Fat Milk Drink
Product size: 236 millilitres
Use-by date: August 29, 2015
A CFS spokesman said, "A sample of the product was collected from a Circle K convenience store on the ground floor of 15 Soy Street, Mong Kok, for testing. The result showed that the total bacterial count of the sample was 130 000 000 per millilitre. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre. The fact that the total bacterial count exceeds the legal limit indicates unsatisfactory hygienic conditions, but does not mean it would lead to food poisoning."
The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and has confirmed that the vendor concerned had stopped sale of the affected product. Prosecution will be initiated should there be sufficient evidence.
According to the information provided by the manufacturer, the production plant was thoroughly cleaned on August 23 and the affected batch of the product was produced before the cleaning. The CFS has collected follow-up milk drink samples for microbiological tests after the cleaning operation and all samples were found to meet legal standards. Furthermore, the CFS has followed up with the manufacturer again and learnt that the relevant production lines have been suspended and production will only be resumed after thorough cleaning and disinfection of the plant.
The CFS will continue to closely monitor the hygienic conditions of the production plant and products produced by the manufacturer to safeguard food safety and public health.
Ends/Tuesday, September 1, 2015
Issued at HKT 19:52
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