The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (December 23) that two samples of bottled pasteurised milk of the same batch imported from New Zealand, were detected with total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit. The CFS has prohibited the import into and sale within Hong Kong of the affected milk with immediate effect to safeguard public health and food safety.

     Product details are as follows:

Product name: Pure Fresh FULL CREAM MILK
Product brand: Therealmilkco
Place of origin: New Zealand
Manufacturer: Green Valley Dairies Limited
Importer: The Dairy Farm Company Limited
Net volume: 225 milliliters per bottle
Best-before date: December 31, 2016

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned milk samples for testing at import level under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial counts of the two samples were 38 000 and 89 000 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."

     "The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. The affected consignment has been marked and sealed and has not entered the local market. The CFS has temporarily suspended the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other products of the same brand will not be affected."

     The spokesman said that the total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning.

     The CFS will inform the New Zealand authorities of the incident, continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.

Ends/Friday, December 23, 2016
Issued at HKT 20:20

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