Frozen Durian Gelato from Malaysia Found Contaminated with High Bacterial Levels, CFS Takes Action

Imported frozen confection samples detected with coliform bacteria and total bacterial counts exceeding legal limits

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 15) that samples of two kinds of frozen confections imported from Malaysia were found to contain coliform bacteria and total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limits. The affected products have been marked and sealed and have not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Musang King Durian Gelato

Brand: Durian Baby

Place of origin: Malaysia

Pack size: 75 grams per box

Importer: DB & FRIENDS (HK) LIMITED

Best-before date: September 26, 2027

Product name: D24 Durian Gelato

Brand: Durian Baby

Place of origin: Malaysia

Pack size: 75 grams per box

Importer: DB & FRIENDS (HK) LIMITED

Best-before date: September 18, 2027

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected samples of the two kinds of frozen confections mentioned above at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that two samples of the Musang King Durian Gelato contained 130 and 140 coliform bacteria per gram respectively, whereas five samples of the D24 Durian Gelato contained coliform bacteria ranging between 210 and 7 200 per gram and total bacterial counts ranging between 84 000 and 160 000 per gram. All are above the legal limits."

"The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the above irregularities. The affected products have all been marked and sealed, and have not entered the market. The CFS will temporarily suspend the permission to import for sale of the products 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 100 coliform bacteria per gram or 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 coliform count and the total bacterial count 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 inform the Malaysian authority of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate actions to safeguard food safety and public health.

Source: AI-found images

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes

An incoming passenger was sentenced to six months' imprisonment and fined $3,000 by the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today (May 15) for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes and failing to declare them to Customs officers, in contravention of the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (DCO).

Customs officers intercepted an incoming male passenger, aged 34, at Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (May 14) and seized 50 190 duty-not-paid cigarettes, with an estimated market value of about $205,800 and a duty potential of about $165,900, from his personal baggage. The passenger was subsequently arrested.

Customs welcomes the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of the offences.

Customs reminds members of the public that under the DCO, cigarettes are dutiable goods to which the DCO applies. Any person who imports, deals with, possesses, sells or buys illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Incoming passenger convicted and jailed for importing duty-not-paid cigarettes Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases