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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 10) announced that after the import ban on the milk products of Australian brand Pura had been lifted, one of the products, Pura Fresh Australian Milk, was detected with total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit when importation of the products to Hong Kong was resumed. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has decided to prohibit the import into and sale within Hong Kong of the three dairy products of the brand manufactured by the same processing plant with immediate effect to safeguard public health and food safety.
Details of the product concerned are as follows:
Brand: Pura
Product name: 1. Pura Fresh Australian Milk
2. Pura Slim Milk Drink
3. Pura Hi-Lo High Calcium Low Fat Milk Drink
Place of origin: Australia
Manufacturer: Lion D & D Milk Pty Ltd
Address: 86 Radium Street, Bentley, Western Australia 6102, Australia
Importer: Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd
Packing size: 1 litre per pack
"The CFS has collected the milk product samples of the aforementioned brand at the import level for testing. Test results showed that the total bacterial counts of two of the fresh milk samples were 140 million and 68 million per millilitre respectively. 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, " a CFS spokesman said.
The spokesman noted that the total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.
The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. According to the information provided by the importer, the import quantity of the affected products was 16 cartons (12 packs per carton). All the affected products had been marked and sealed by the CFS and did not enter the local market.
In May 2013, the CFS found the Pura Slim Milk Drink having a total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit, and the same type of products was again detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit in March last year. The CFS then suspended the import of the product and two other milk products of the same brand, including the above-mentioned Pura Fresh Australian Milk and Pura Hi-Lo High Calcium Low Fat Milk Drink. Following the submission of an investigation report and the implementation of enhanced surveillance programmes and actions by the Australian authorities, the CFS has conducted an assessment and decided to allow the product to be imported to Hong Kong again in August this year. Surveillance on the products has been further enhanced at the import level including taking samples for testing and releasing the products only when the test result is satisfactory. The batch of Pura Fresh Australian Milk, which was detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit this time, is the first batch of products imported into Hong Kong after the import ban was lifted.
The CFS will inform the Australian authorities of the import ban and request them to investigate the case. The Centre will continue to closely follow up the incident and take appropriate action.
Ends/Tuesday, November 10, 2015
Issued at HKT 20:45
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