5th September 2024 – (Hong Kong) The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has announced its active investigation into food poisoning clusters linked to clams in preserved fish sauce. This follows the discovery of excessive levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in a sample collected from affected food premises.
After being notified by the Centre for Health Protection, CFS personnel promptly visited a food establishment in Mong Kok to conduct an investigation. Laboratory tests revealed alarming results: the clam sample contained Vibrio parahaemolyticus at a concentration of 1,400,000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, any ready-to-eat food exceeding 1,000 per gram of this bacterium is deemed unsatisfactory.
In response to these findings, the CFS has informed the implicated food premises of the irregularities. The establishment has halted sales of the affected product and discarded it as per CFS directives. Additionally, the CFS has provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the premises’ staff and management, urging them to enhance their food production processes and conduct thorough cleaning and disinfection. Prosecution will follow if sufficient evidence is gathered.
Under section 54 of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), all food sold in Hong Kong must be fit for human consumption. Violators face penalties of up to $50,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon conviction.
Vibrio parahaemolyticus is a common bacterium found in seawater and seafood, often associated with food poisoning from undercooked or raw shellfish. Symptoms typically include diarrhoea, vomiting, mild fever, and abdominal pain, manifesting within one to two days after consuming contaminated food. While recovery usually occurs within a few days, certain populations, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, and individuals with weakened immune systems, are at higher risk for severe symptoms.
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