CFS finds excessive Bacillus cereus in follow-up sample of bottled preserved bean curd
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 16) announced that a follow-up sample of bottled preserved bean curd was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus. Members of the public should not consume the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: (Not available in English)
Place of origin: Hong Kong
Net weight: 255 grams
Best-before date: August 7, 2025
Manufacturer: LIU MA KEE LIMITED
"The CFS announced earlier that a sample of bottled preserved bean curd collected under its routine Food Surveillance Programme from a retail outlet in Sai Ying Pun was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus. When following up on the incident, the CFS further collected the above-mentioned sample from a retail outlet in Yau Ma Tei on July 9 for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 1 300 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, if ready-to-eat food contains Bacillus cereus at a level of more than 100 000 per gram, it is considered unsatisfactory," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The spokesman stated that despite previous instructions to the manufacturer, the result of the follow-up sample has remained unsatisfactory. The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and has instructed the vendor to stop sales and to remove from shelves the affected batch of the product. The manufacturer concerned has initiated a recall of the affected batch of the product according to the CFS's instructions. Members of the public may call the manufacturer's hotline at 2730 2968 during office hours for enquiries about the product recall.
Earlier the CFS has also inspected the food factory concerned, provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the food factory, and requested it to review and improve the food production process and carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection. Prosecution will be instituted should there be sufficient evidence.
"Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus or its heat-stable toxins may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea," the spokesman said.
The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.
Source: AI-generated images
EDB announces arrangements under Primary One Admission System for admission to Primary One in September 2027
A spokesman for the Education Bureau (EDB) said today (August 28) that all Hong Kong children born on or before December 31, 2021, who have not attended any primary schools and have never been allocated a Primary One (P1) place, are eligible to join the Primary One Admission (POA) System for admission to P1 in September 2027 .
Digitalisation of POA
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In line with the Smart Government strategy, the EDB has fully digitalised POA. Parents who have registered as POA e-platform (ePOA) users and bound their account to "iAM Smart+" may submit applications and check the results for discretionary places and Central Allocation online via ePOA. The EDB encourages parents to register with "iAM Smart+" (www.iamsmart.gov.hk/en/reg.html) as early as possible for more convenient and faster P1 school place allocation services.
Submission of applications for discretionary places
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At the Discretionary Places Admission stage, parents can submit an application to any government or aided primary school and the school choice is not restricted to the school net in which the child resides. Parents who wish to apply for a POA discretionary place in a government or aided primary school may submit an application via ePOA (epoa.edb.gov.hk) from September 17 to 25. Please refer to the related videos and Parent's Guide on the EDB's website (www.edb.gov.hk/en/edu-system/primary-secondary/spa-systems/primary-1-admission/poa_eplatform/index.html) for details of the procedures for creating an ePOA account and submitting applications for discretionary places via ePOA.
If parents choose to submit paper application forms, they may obtain the Application Form for Admission to Primary One, Notes on How to Complete the Application Form for Admission to Primary One, POA information leaflet, etc, from their children's kindergartens or kindergarten-cum-child care centres, District Offices (Home Affairs Enquiry Centres), and the Regional Education Offices and School Places Allocation Section of the EDB from next Tuesday (September 1). They should submit the completed application form together with all supporting documents directly to the school during school office hours between September 21 and 25. Parents who are unable to submit the application form in person may authorise in writing a representative to bring along the above-mentioned documents to the primary school on their behalf.
The spokesman reminded that irrespective of whether the application is submitted via ePOA or in paper form, parents should submit only one application for each child. If parents have applied to more than one government or aided primary school, their application for a POA discretionary place will be rendered void. In addition, parents should not submit duplicate applications via ePOA and in paper form for the same child. Parents who wish to enrol their children in Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary schools or private primary schools (including international schools) should apply directly to those schools as they are not included in the POA System. Parents should also note that children who have accepted the offer of P1 places in DSS primary schools will not be allocated P1 places in government or aided primary schools through the POA System.
Application for Central Allocation only
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If parents only intend to apply for the POA Central Allocation, they should submit an application to the EDB via ePOA or in paper form on or before January 22, 2027. For submission of paper forms, they should return the completed application form and supporting documents to the School Places Allocation Section (Primary One Admission) of the EDB at Podium Floor, West Block, Education Bureau Kowloon Tong Education Services Centre, 19 Suffolk Road, Kowloon Tong.
Residential address
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"When completing the POA Application Form, parents should fill in the actual residential address of their child. If a false address is given by parents to secure a P1 place for their child under the POA System, the application will be rendered void and the P1 place allocated will be withdrawn. If a false instrument has been used or a false statutory declaration has been made in the application, the offender is liable on conviction to imprisonment for 14 years or imprisonment for two years and to a fine respectively under the Crimes Ordinance. Members of public who suspect that a parent has used a false address for POA applications for their child may report it to the School Places Allocation Section by calling its hotline at 2832 7700," the EDB spokesman said.
Enquiries
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The information leaflet for POA 2027 is available on the EDB's website for parents' reference. Other details of POA and the discretionary places quota of each school will be available from next Tuesday (September 1) on the EDB's website and 24-hour Automatic Telephone Enquiry System at 2891 0088.
Source: AI-found images
