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¡¡¡¡The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (March 2) appealed to retailers to stop selling the following peanut butter products suspected to be contaminated by Salmonella and the public not to consume them.
¡¡¡¡Details of the affected products, as advised by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States, are as follows:
(1) Sonic Brand Ready-To-Use Peanut Butter Topping in 6 lb. 10.5 oz cans. Sonic outlets used the topping until 16 February 2007, when the product was recalled. The topping was used in the following Sonic products:
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter Shake
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter Fudge Shake
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter Sundae
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae
(2) Carvel Peanut Butter Topping in 6 lb. 10 oz. cans. Carvel used the topping until 16 February 2007, when the product was recalled. The topping was used in the following Carvel ice cream products:
¡¡¡¡- Chocolate Peanut Butter
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter Treasure
¡¡¡¡- Peanut Butter & Jelly
¡¡¡¡- Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Sundae Dasher
¡¡¡¡- Any other customized products containing the Peanut Butter Topping, including peanut butter flavored ice cream in ice cream cakes
(3) J. Hungerford Smith Peanut Butter Dessert Topping in 6 lb. 10 oz. cans: This topping may be used by retail and restaurant outlets throughout the United States but is not available for direct purchase by the public.
¡¡¡¡A CFS spokesman said the FDA, upon further follow-up investigation on the recent Salmonella cases, had revealed that the Salmonella strain found in the processing plant and open jars of peanut butter ¡°Peter Pan¡± and ¡°Great Value¡± matched the outbreak strain recovered from consumers who became ill.
¡¡¡¡According to the FDA, the processing plant ¡°ConAgra¡± is recalling all peanut butter of the two brands beginning with product code ¡°2111¡±, and the company¡¯s recall extends to products made since December 2005.
¡¡¡¡¡°On February 15 this year, the CFS made a similar appeal regarding the affected products of ¡°Peter Pan¡± and ¡°Great Value¡±. In liaising with the major retailer and follow-up inspections, the Centre did not find such products on sale in the local market.
¡¡¡¡¡°The CFS will continue to closely monitor the situation and take action as appropriate.¡±
¡¡¡¡On the other hand, the CFS, in following up the recent interception of freshwater fish by the Customs and Excise Department, had collected 10 samples for tests for malachite green, nitrofurans and chloramphenicol. Two samples were tested positive for malachite green while four samples were found to contain nitrofurans. Results of the remaining four samples were satisfactory.
¡¡¡¡The samples were taken following Hong Kong Customs¡¯ recent seizure of two batches of unmanifested fish which did not bear valid health certificates.
¡¡¡¡¡°The samples tested positive for malachite green included a catfish and a freshwater grouper sample (0.0055 ppm and 0.083 ppm respectively). The samples found to contain nitrofurans included a goldfish carp, a snakehead, an eel and a small snakehead sample (from 0.0028 ppm to 0.014 ppm),¡¡a CFS spokesman said.
¡¡¡¡The fish loads concerned were all confiscated by the Hong Kong Customs.
¡¡¡¡¡°The CFS would consider taking out prosecution against the concerned owners of the fish loads. It would also continue to combat fish products coming from improper channels.¡±
Ends/Friday, March 2, 2007
Issued at HKT 20:40
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