CFS urges public not to consume batch of powdered infant formula found with lead possibly exceeding limit
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 25) urged the public not to consume a batch of powdered infant formula, as the product was found by the Macao authority with lead possibly exceeding its permissible levels. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.
Product details are as follows:
Product name: Frisolac Prestige Stage 1 Infant Formula (800g)
Brand: FRISO PRESTIGE
Place of origin: Netherlands
Net weight: 800 grams
Best-before date: September 30, 2027
Batch number: 1W07KPJ
Importer: FrieslandCampina (Hong Kong) Ltd
Frisolac Prestige Stage 1 Infant Formula
A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS noted a press release issued by the Macao authority this afternoon that the above-mentioned powdered infant formula was detected with lead content exceeding its permissible levels, while no abnormalities have been found in other batches of the relevant powdered infant formula so far. The CFS immediately followed up on the incident and contacted the importer concerned. Preliminary investigation by the CFS confirmed that the above-mentioned importer had imported the affected batch of the product into Hong Kong. The importer concerned has also arranged testing on two samples of the same batch, and the results showed that they complied with the standards of Hong Kong and Macao. For the sake of prudence, the importer concerned has already stopped sales and removed the affected product from shelves, and the CFS has instructed the importer to initiate a recall of the affected batch of product. Members of the public may call the distributor's hotline at 2280 4731 during office hours for enquiries about the recall."
The spokesman added that the CFS is stepping up the surveillance of powdered infant and young children formula in the market and will continue to closely monitor the recall of the related product to fully safeguard food safety.
The CFS has been collecting powdered infant and young children formula samples from local retail outlets for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme to safeguard the health and food safety of infants and young children. From 2023 to June 2026, the CFS has collected over 2 000 powdered infant and young children formula samples from the market for chemical and microbiological testing, including lead content tests. No unsatisfactory samples for lead content were found. The spokesman added that long term excessive exposure to lead in children can lead to neurological impairment and affect brain development.
The CFS urged members of the public not to let infants and young children consume the affected batch of the product, and to seek medical treatment for infants or young children who felt unwell after taking the product concerned. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately. The CFS has alerted the trade and relevant departments to the incident, and will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action.
The Centre for Food Safety, Photo source: reference image
Land and Development Advisory Committee holds meeting
The Development Bureau briefed the Land and the Development Advisory Committee (LDAC) at its meeting today (July 27) on the two new measures to incentivise urban renewal. The major arrangements of the measures are as follows:
(1) The Bonus Plot Ratio Pilot Scheme: If a developer commits to pull down a building with residential elements in the seven designated areas (Note), whose building age reached 50 years or above with the site area not less than 700 square metres, and redevelop it into residential use, an additional 20 per cent premium-free gross floor area (GFA) will be provided as bonus. The developer can choose to submit planning application to the Town Planning Board (TPB) to directly utilise the bonus plot ratio in kind for in-situ redevelopment. The developer can also choose to translate the bonus plot ratio into land premium value for offsetting the land premium payable for in-situ redevelopment or any other land transactions in the Northern Metropolisand other parts of the territory. To simplify the execution procedures, the Government will use standard rates to calculate the premium value of the bonus plot ratio. All in-situ redevelopment projects joining the Pilot Scheme are required to be effected by means of lease modification to ensure timely completion of the redevelopment project. The bonus plot ratio will not affect other existing GFA concession measures. Subject to market response, the Development Bureau will evaluate the effectiveness of the Pilot Scheme, as well as introduce adjustments where necessary and consider whether the period of the Pilot Scheme will have to be extended; and
(2) The cross-district transfer of plot ratio (TPR) arrangement: It is to relax the current arrangements of TPR within the same district, allowing cross-district transfer of plot ratio from the sending sites to other areas across the territory, including the New Development Areas, so as to reduce the development density in the urban area. It is also to extend the geographic coverage of sending sites from Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei to the remaining five designated areas (Note), as well as removing the limit of two receiving sites and reducing the site area requirement of receiving sites from 1000sqm to 700sqm. To provide additional incentives, if the sending site is used for designated uses benefiting the local community, subject to the TPB's approval, certain premium-free GFA could be provided within the sending sites as bonus GFA, in addition to the full transfer of the plot ratio and GFA from sending sites in order to support the on-going management and maintenance of the sending site. Furthermore, the premium assessment arrangement will be relaxed to allow the land premium assessment for the sending sites and receiving sites to be combined. All cross-district TPR proposals will require submission of planning applications to the TPB, which will perform a gatekeeping role in ensuring the transfer will not cause adverse impact to the surrounding environment.
The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, said "At present, the pace of building ageing in Hong Kong far exceeds that of redevelopment by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) and the private market. In the past decade, the number of buildings aged 50 years or above increased by about 510 per year, while on average only 160 buildings were demolished by the URA and the private sector. And not many redevelopment projects in old districts are financially viable these days. In this regard, the Government has to adopt a new mindset and bold policy thinking to give a stronger policy push to encourage the private sector to participate in urban renewal, with a view to expediting redevelopment and rescuing urban decay."
Members were very supportive of the two new measures proposed by the Government. They agreed that the Bonus Plot Ratio Pilot Scheme would provide incentives and enhance the financial viability of redevelopment projects in old districts, and that the cross-district TPR arrangement could further incentivise the market to use the planning tool to expedite urban renewal.
Members considered that it was time to give bolder and stronger push to promote urban redevelopment by the URA and the market. If the response of these measures is positive, members expected that the Government could extend the Pilot scheme and consider relaxing the implementation arrangements where appropriate. Given the measures would involve a lot of technical implementation details, Members would like the Government to set out such details in the application guidelines of the relevant measures, so as to facilitate implementation.
The above are two of the measures announced in the Chief Executive's 2025 Policy Address to expedite urban renewal. Having consulted relevant stakeholders and taken into account their comments, the Government has formulated the implementation arrangements. The LDAC today mainly discussed the implementation details of the relevant proposals.
The Government will issue a joint practice notes for launching the Bonus Plot Ratio Pilot Scheme and revise the TPB Guidelines on TPR after obtaining the TPB's endorsement, with a view to launching the two schemes in the third quarter of 2026.
Note: The seven designated areas refer to Cheung Sha Wan (the same Outline Zoning Plan (OZP) covering also Sham Shui Po), Ma Tau Kok (covering Kowloon City and To Kwa Wan), Mong Kok, Sai Ying Pun and Sheung Wan (covered by the same OZP), Tsuen Wan, Wan Chai and Yau Ma Tei.
Source: AI-found images
