CFS finds excessive aflatoxin in bottled pistachio paste sample
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 12) announced that a bottled pistachio paste sample was found to contain an excessive amount of aflatoxin. Members of the public should not consume the affected batch of the product. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.
The Centre for Food Safety, Photo source: reference image
Product details are as follows:
Product name: 100% Pure Pistachio Butter
Brand: Naturalam
Place of origin: China
Net weight: 110 grams
Best-before date: April 16, 2027
Retailer: Sogo Fresh Mart
Distributor: Master Lam Foods Ltd
100% Pure Pistachio Butter of Naturalam, Photo source: online image
"The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a supermarket in Causeway Bay for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that it contained aflatoxin at a level of 120 micrograms per kilogram," a spokesman for the CFS said.
Under the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF), the maximum concentration for aflatoxin in any other food is 10 micrograms per kilogram.
The CFS has informed the retailer and distributor concerned of the irregularity. The retailer and distributor concerned have stopped sales, removed the affected batch of the product from shelves and initiated a recall. Members of the public may call the distributor's hotline at 2763 9596 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
The World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified naturally occurring aflatoxins as carcinogenic to humans, and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives advised that intake of aflatoxins should be reduced to levels as low as reasonably possible although no health-based guidance value has been set. Aflatoxins can lead to liver cancer after long-term ingestion, and the risk for hepatitis B carriers is relatively high.
The spokesman urged members of the public who had bought the affected product to stop consuming it. To avoid excessive intake of mycotoxins, people should maintain a balanced and varied diet to minimise the risk from a small range of food items, and to avoid consuming food that looks mouldy or damaged.
The CFS has alerted the trade, and will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.
100% Pure Pistachio Butter of Naturalam, Photo source: online image
Volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade in June 2026
Further to the external merchandise trade statistics in value terms for June 2026 released earlier on, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (August 13) the volume and price statistics of external merchandise trade for that month.
In June 2026, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 34.3% and 27.5% respectively over June 2025.
Comparing the first half of 2026 with the same period in 2025, the volume of Hong Kong's total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 28.7% and 30.4% respectively.
Comparing the second quarter of 2026 with the preceding quarter on a seasonally adjusted basis, the volume of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 6.6% and 2.2% respectively.
Changes in volume of external merchandise trade are derived from changes in external merchandise trade value with the effect of price changes discounted.
Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 13.6% and 12.7% respectively.
As regards price changes in the first half of 2026 over the same period in 2025, the prices of total exports of goods and imports of goods increased by 7.9% and 7.6% respectively.
Price changes in external merchandise trade are reflected by changes in unit value indices of external merchandise trade, which are compiled based on average unit values or, for certain commodities, specific price data.
The terms of trade index is derived from the ratio of price index of total exports of goods to that of imports of goods. Compared with the same periods in 2025, the index increased by 0.8% in June 2026 and 0.3% in the first half of 2026.
Changes in the unit value and volume of total exports of goods by main destination are shown in Table 1.
Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, increases were recorded for the total export volume to the USA (85.2%), Taiwan (60.5%), Vietnam (40.5%) and Chinese Mainland (the Mainland) (36.9%). On the other hand, the total export volume to India decreased by 8.8%.
Over the same period of comparison, the total export prices to all main destinations increased: the Mainland (15.9%), the USA (13.3%), India (11.9%), Vietnam (10.5%) and Taiwan (10.1%).
Changes in the unit value and volume of imports of goods by main supplier are shown in Table 2.
Comparing June 2026 with June 2025, increases were recorded for the import volume from all main suppliers: Korea (109.2%), Vietnam (74.7%), Singapore (27.9%), the Mainland (25.0%) and Taiwan (2.2%).
Over the same period of comparison, the import prices from all main suppliers increased: Korea (31.3%), Taiwan (20.0%), Vietnam (14.2%), the Mainland (12.1%) and Singapore (10.1%).
Further information
Details of the above statistics are published in the June 2026 issue of "Hong Kong Merchandise Trade Index Numbers". Users can browse and download the report at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1020006&scode=230).
Enquiries on merchandise trade indices may be directed to the Trade Analysis Section of the C&SD (Tel: 3863 2599).
