The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 9) that 390 cartons (a total of 4 680 kilograms) of pasteurised frozen liquid egg white from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, were illegally imported into Hong Kong, breaching the relevant Food Safety Order. None of the product concerned has entered the market. The CFS is following up on the case.
   
     A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS inspected a consignment of food imported from Japan and found that the above-mentioned product from Ibaraki Prefecture therein was not accompanied with a radiation certificate, breaching the relevant Food Safety Order. The product concerned has not entered the market and has been marked and sealed by the CFS. The CFS has taken a sample of the product concerned for testing of the radiation level, and no radiation has been detected.
   
     According to the Order, the import of all chilled or frozen game, meat and poultry, all poultry eggs and all live, chilled or frozen aquatic products from five Japanese prefectures, namely Fukushima, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Chiba and Gunma, to Hong Kong, must be accompanied by a certificate issued by the competent authority of Japan certifying that the radiation levels do not exceed the guideline levels."

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action, including informing the Japanese authorities concerned of the incident. Prosecution will be instituted against the importer concerned should there be sufficient evidence. An investigation is ongoing.

Ends/Friday, August 9, 2019
Issued at HKT 17:41

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