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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (January 27) announced that the sugar content in a prepackaged radish cake sample was found to be inconsistent with the declared value on its nutrition label. Follow-up is in progress.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Amoy Radish Cake
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Manufacturer: Amoy Food Limited
Packing: Three pieces per pack/
65 grams per piece
Best-before date: February 3, 2017
"The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a supermarket in Lai Chi Kok for testing under its regular Food Surveillance Programme. The result of chemical analysis showed a discrepancy between the actual sugar content of the sample (2.9g per 100g) and the declared content on its nutrition label (1.3g per 100g)," a spokesman for the CFS said.
According to the CFS' Technical Guidance Notes on Nutrition Labelling and Nutrition Claims, the tolerance limit for sugar content is set at a level of not more than 120 per cent of the labelled value.
"The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and the vendor has stopped selling and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product according to the instructions of the CFS. Should there be sufficient evidence, prosecution will be instituted. The CFS has also followed up with the manufacturer concerned to trace the distribution of the affected product," the spokesman said.
According to Section 61 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap 132), if any person falsely describes a food or misleads as to the nature, substance or quality of the food on a label of the food sold by him, he shall be guilty of an offence and be liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment upon conviction.
The CFS will inform the trade, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.
Ends/Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Issued at HKT 18:45
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