Hong Kong – CFS urges public not to consume stabiliser from France with possible presence of ethylene oxide

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 29) urged the public not to consume a kind of stabiliser imported from France because the locust bean gum used in the product was found with a pesticide, ethylene oxide, which is not authorised by the European Union (EU). The trade should stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.
 
     Details of the product are as follows:
 
Product name: Super Neutrose
Brand: Louis Francois
Place of origin: France
Net weight: 1 kilogram per pack
Batches: 174A0, 205B0, 290B0, 7D1
Best-before date: June 2022 (174A0), July 2022 (205B0), October 2022 (290B0), January 2023 (7D1)
Importer: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Limited (telephone hotline: 2612 2066)
 
Product name: Stab 2000
Brand: Louis Francois
Place of origin: France
Net weight: 1kg per pack
Batch: 322C9
Best-before date: November 2021
Importers: Classic Fine Foods (Hong Kong) Limited (telephone hotline: 2612 2066), Foodgears Industrial International Limited (telephone hotline: 3999 5706), Maxly Food Company Limited (telephone hotline: 2552 7128)
 
     A spokesman for the CFS said, “The CFS received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the locust bean gum used in the above-mentioned products were found earlier with a pesticide, ethylene oxide, which is not authorised by the EU. According to the information provided by the RASFF, the affected products have been imported into Hong Kong. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers concerned for follow-up.”
 
     A preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importers had imported into Hong Kong the affected batches of the products concerned. Since ethylene oxide is not authorised by the EU, for the sake of prudence, the importers have removed the products from shelves, stopped the sale of the affected products upon the CFS’ advice and have initiated a recall. Members of the public may call the relevant importers’ hotlines mentioned above during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
 
     The spokesman urged consumers not to consume the affected products if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the products concerned immediately if they possess them.
 
     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. An investigation is ongoing.