Imported prepackaged frozen confection samples detected with total bacterial counts exceeding legal limit
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (August 13) that samples of a kind of prepackaged frozen confection imported from Taiwan were detected with total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit. The batch of the product concerned has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Brown Sugar Boba Frozen Dessert Bar
Brand: SHAOMEI
Place of origin: Taiwan
Net weight: 80 grams
Best-before date: July 26, 2025
Importer: Circle K Convenience Stores (HK) Ltd
A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected samples of the above-mentioned frozen confection at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. Test results showed that three samples contained 63 000, 82 000 and 540 000 bacteria per gram respectively, exceeding the legal limit."
"The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularities. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer's warehouse. It has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS will temporarily suspend the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer," the spokesman said.
Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC), frozen confections for sale should not contain more than 50 000 bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the total bacterial counts exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.
C&WDO receives report of loss of hirer data by facility management services contractor of Sai Ying Pun Community Complex
The Central and Western District Office (C&WDO) received a report of the loss of hirer data by a facility management services contractor today (September 16).
The C&WDO has engaged a facility management services contractor, Synergis Facility Management Limited (the Contractor), to assist in managing the Sai Ying Pun Community Complex Community Hall (the Community Hall) and handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility from September 2022 to August 2025.
The Contractor reported to the C&WDO this morning that a staff member of the Contractor, who is responsible for handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility, had lost a portable device (USB) during work on September 14. The device contains the name of organisation, date and time of the event, name and contact number of the contact person for 306 applicants. The data involved does not include any identity card number or other personal identifiers.
Upon receiving the report, the C&WDO promptly requested and accompanied the Contractor to report the incident to the Police and reported the matter to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data this afternoon. The C&WDO is contacting all the affected applicants to offer apologies and explain the incident. Meanwhile, a hotline (2852 3735) has been set up for persons affected to make enquiries. The C&WDO has also immediately suspended the Contractor from handling the booking applications for use of the Community Hall and its facility. The Home Affairs Department (HAD) has also informed the Property Management Services Authority to take appropriate follow-up action as the Contractor has failed to handle personal data properly as a licensed property management company.
The C&WDO sincerely apologises to the persons affected for any inconvenience caused and will follow up seriously to prevent reoccurrence of similar incidents . The C&WDO strongly condemns the Contractor concerned for the incident and has required the Contractor to submit a detailed report and take all necessary measures to prevent further leakage of the data involved. The HAD will not allow the Contractor to bid any other projects of the HAD until it has taken satisfactory measures.
Source: AI-generated images
