The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 4) that three soft ice-cream samples were found to contain total bacterial counts and coliform counts exceeding the legal limits. Follow-up is in progress.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS previously announced that a soft ice-cream sample in milk flavour taken from a retail outlet in Tung Chung had been found to contain a total bacterial count and a coliform count exceeding the legal limits. In its follow-up investigation, the Centre detected similar irregularities in another sample of the same kind of soft ice-cream, and another two samples in milk and matcha flavour from the same vendor. The test results showed that the three samples contained total bacterial counts ranging from 370 000 to 550 000 per gram and coliform counts ranging from 310 to 450 per gram, exceeding the legal limits."

     Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap 132 AC), each gram of frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 50 000 bacteria or more than 100 coliform bacteria. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the total bacterial count and the coliform count exceeded the legal limits indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.

     "The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularities and it has stopped selling the affected products. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence. The CFS has also provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the vendor concerned, and has requested them to carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection," the spokesman said.

     The CFS will follow up on the case closely and take appropriate action including stepping up inspection of the vendor concerned to safeguard food safety and public health.

Ends/Friday, November 4, 2016
Issued at HKT 16:58

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