Skip to main content

CFS finds salad sample contaminated with Bacillus cereus

  • 2015.11.24

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 24) that a sample of salad was found to contain an excessive amount of Bacillus cereus, a pathogen. The CFS has ordered the restaurant concerned to stop selling the affected dish, and to review and improve the food production process.

     A spokesman for the CFS said, "Following up on a food complaint, the CFS collected a sample of salad from a licensed general restaurant in Sha Tin for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained Bacillus cereus at a level of 800 000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, it is potentially injurious to health or unfit for human consumption if a gram of ready-to-eat food contains more than 100 000 of Bacillus cereus."

     Bacillus cereus is commonly found in the environment. Unhygienic conditions in food processing and storage may give rise to its growth. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Bacillus cereus may cause gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting and diarrhoea.

     The spokesman said that the CFS had notified the food premises concerned of the unsatisfactory test result and instructed it to stop supplying the affected food immediately, carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection, and review and improve the food production process. The CFS has also provided health education on food safety and hygiene for the persons-in-charge and staff of the food premises.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.

Reprinted from HKSAR Government:

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201511/24/P201511240761.htm