The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 16) announced that a trace amount of metabolite of nitrofuran (AOZ), a non-permitted veterinary drug, was found in a chilled tiger grouper sample. Follow-up is in progress.
A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the aforementioned tiger grouper sample from a supermarket in Kowloon Bay under its routine Food Surveillance Programme for testing. The test result showed that it contained metabolite of nitrofuran (AOZ) at a level of 1.6 parts per billion.
"Nitrofurans are a family of chemical compounds which have broad-spectrum antimicrobial activities. Although there is evidence suggesting that nitrofurans might cause cancer in animals, there is yet sufficient data confirming that it can cause cancer in humans. JECFA (Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives) considered that competent authorities should prevent residues of nitrofurans in food. Nitrofurans have been prohibited for use in food-producing animals in many countries."
The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity. According to the information provided by the vendor, there was no remaining stock of the affected batch. The CFS will trace the source and distribution of the affected product.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.
Reprinted from HKSAR Government:
http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201705/16/P2017051600906.htm