CFS urges public not to consume two batches of cheese suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (December 5) urged the public not to consume two batches of cheese imported from Italy due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batches of the product immediately if they possess any of them.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Raclette Sapin Vert 6.5kg
Batch numbers/use-by dates:
(1) 155121504/December 15, 2025; and
(2) 1551222/December 22, 2025
Importer: Bright View Trading Hong Kong Limited
"The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission that the above-mentioned batches of the product are being recalled due to possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers to follow up. A preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batches of the product concerned," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The importer concerned has stopped sales and removed from shelves the affected batches of the product and has initiated a recall according to the CFS's instructions. Enquiries can be made to the importer's hotline at 3860 1906 during office hours.
"Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns," the spokesman added.
"In order to reduce the risk of listeriosis, susceptible populations such as pregnant women should consume freshly prepared hot food where possible, reheat chilled food until it is hot all the way through, and avoid high-risk foods, including ready-to-eat food such as cold cuts, cold smoked seafood, soft cheeses, salads, etc, or cook them thoroughly before consumption, even if they are presented as part of a dish."
The spokesman advised members of the public to stop consuming the affected batches of the product and seek medical treatment if they feel unwell after consuming the product concerned.
The CFS has alerted the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.
The Centre for Food Safety
Online auction of vehicle registration marks to be held from March 26 to 30
The Transport Department (TD) today (March 11) said that the next online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) will be held from noon on March 26 (Thursday) to noon on March 30 (Monday) through the auction platform E-Auction (e-auction.td.gov.hk). Interested bidders can participate in the online auction only after they have successfully registered as E-Auction users.
A spokesman for the TD said, "A total of 220 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve an Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with 'HK' or 'XX' as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged."
Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by "iAM Smart+" equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered "iAM Smart" users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not "iAM Smart" users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using "iAM Smart+" or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
- completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale); and
- making the auction payment online by credit card, Faster Payment System (FPS) or Payment by Phone Service (PPS). Cheque or cash payment is not accepted in the E-Auction.
(5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries.
The Transport Department (TD), Photo by Bastille Post
