The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (January 27) urged the public not to consume a batch of prepackaged minestrone soup of a UK brand, Waitrose, as it might contain pieces of plastic. The trade should also stop using or selling the product immediately should they possess it.

     Product details are as follows:

Product: Hearty Minestrone Soup
Brand: Waitrose
Packing size: 600 grams per cup
Use-by date: January 29, 2017

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS, through its routine Food Incident Surveillance System, learned that the British manufacturer of the minestrone soup concerned had initiated a recall of the above-mentioned batch of product as it might contain pieces of plastic. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately followed up with major local importers. The CFS' investigation found that PARKnSHOP (HK) Limited had imported the affected product into Hong Kong.

     The spokesman said that according to information provided by the importer concerned, it had imported a total of 60 cups of the affected product, which were only on sale in its chain of supermarkets. Forty-nine cups had been sold and the importer had stopped sale of and removed from shelves the remaining affected product. A recall has also been initiated. Members of the public who have bought the affected product should stop consuming the product and they may call the vendor's hotline at 2606 8658 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, continue to closely monitor the case and take appropriate follow-up action. Investigation is ongoing.

Ends/Friday, January 27, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:30

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