Brussels ETO continues support for seventh Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussels ETO) once again supported the seventh Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival, taking place from May 22 to 24 (Barcelona Time) in Castelldefels, Barcelona, in Spain.
Speaking at the award presentation ceremony on May 24, Deputy Representative of Brussels ETO Mr Kasper Ng remarked that dragon boat racing, which originated in China and has deep cultural roots, represents unity, courage, determination and resilience, values that closely reflect Hong Kong's "Lion Rock spirit".
Mr Ng mentioned that Hong Kong is a centre of major international sporting events, including the signature Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board annually in June, which will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year on the iconic Victoria Harbour. He invited the participants and audience of the Festival to visit Hong Kong to experience the vibrant sports and cultural scene of Hong Kong.
One of Europe's leading dragon boat events, this year's Festival features 38 teams from 15 countries, with about 1 000 paddlers competing in 78 races, including 10 breast cancer survivors teams.
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels supported the seventh Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival held from May 22 to 24 (Barcelona Time) in Castelldefels, Barcelona, in Spain. Photo shows paddlers and visitors of the Festival visiting the Hong Kong booth. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels supported the seventh Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival held from May 22 to 24 (Barcelona Time) in Castelldefels, Barcelona, in Spain. Photo shows dragon boats racing at the Festival on May 24. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Brussels (Brussel ETO) supported the seventh Barcelona International Dragon Boat Festival held from May 22 to 24 (Barcelona Time) in Castelldefels, Barcelona, in Spain. Photo shows Deputy Representative of Brussels ETO Mr Kasper Ng (left) addressing the audience and congratulating the winning teams during the award presentation ceremony. Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
CFS finds trace amount of Enterococci in samples of individual batches of bottled mineral water
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 28) that two samples of bottled mineral water were found to contain trace amount of Enterococci. The CFS is following up on the incident.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Under its routine Food Surveillance Programme, the CFS collected bottled mineral water samples at retail level for microbiological testing, including tests for Escherichia coli, Coliform bacteria, Enterococci, Spore-forming sulphite-reducing anaerobes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The test results showed that two samples of the individual batches of bottled mineral water below contained Enterococci at a level of one Colony Forming Unit in 250 millilitres, while all other tested parameters (Escherichia coli, coliform bacteria, Spore-forming sulphite-reducing anaerobes and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) were satisfactory (i.e. not detected).
According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, Enterococci shall not be tested presence in bottled natural mineral water. As a precautionary measure, the CFS has informed the retailers/distributors concerned to stop sales and remove from shelves the affected batches of the products below. The distributors concerned have also initiated voluntary recalls of the affected batches of the products concerned. Members of the public may call the respective hotlines below during office hours for enquiries about the recalls.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Still Scottish Mountain Water
Brand: Marks & Spencer
Volume: 750ml
Best-before date: December 2026
Distributor: ALF Retail Hong Kong Limited
Hotline: 3656 2253
Product name: LOTTE ICIS Natural Mineral Water 8.0
Brand: Lotte
Volume: 2 litres
Best-before date: September 22, 2027
Distributor: Goldtop Century Ltd
Hotline: 2632 7373
Since January 2026, the CFS has collected 50 samples of bottled drinking water for testing. Apart from the two unsatisfactory samples mentioned above, all other samples passed the tests.
"Enterococci are a group of bacteria commonly found in the gastrointestinal tracts of humans and animals, generally posing a low risk to healthy individuals. However, certain strains may cause infections in immunocompromised individuals. Members of the public should stop consuming the affected batches of the natural mineral water. Anyone who feels unwell after consuming the products, such as experiencing symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea or fever etc, should seek medical treatment," a spokesman for the CFS said.
The CFS had alert the trade, and will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
Source: AI-found images
