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Not to consume a batch of prepacked/ loose boletes as the product is suspected to contain a mixture of species including inedible species

  • 2021.06.21
Issue Date21.6.2021
Source of Information

Centre for Food Safety

Food Product

Boletes

Product Name and Description

Retailer: 『天然有機健康特產』

Reason For Issuing Alert
  • The CFS received a notification from the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health that a food poisoning case suspected to have been caused by consuming boletes which contained inedible species of mushrooms, and is being recalled.
  •  Mushroom poisoning is generally acute and the incubation period is usually short. Gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, sometimes features such as extreme thirst, profuse sweating, hallucination, coma and other neurological symptoms may occur.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety
  • The CFS immediately contacted the local importer concerned for follow-up.
  • Preliminary investigation showed that the retailer concerned was also the sole importer of the affected product, the affected batch of product was for sale at the abovementioned retail outlet only.
  • The CFS has requested the vendor concerned to stop sale of the affected batch and remove from shelves, initiate a recall on all the boletes sold after November 17 last year. 
Advice to the Trade

The trade should also stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

Advice to Consumers
  • Do not to consume the affected product if they have bought any.
  • Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer's hotline at 9480 8730 during office hours.
  • Consumers are advised to heed the following points when buying and eating fresh mushrooms: 

         - Do not buy mushroom products which may contain a mix of unknown species.
         - Do not buy mushrooms which look unhygienic (with growing substrates left with the product) or show signs of spoilage (with coloured spots/abnormal smell/slime, etc).
         - Wash and cook mushrooms thoroughly before consumption.
         - Seek medical treatment immediately if mushroom poisoning is suspected.

Further Information

The CFS press release

Reposted from HKSAR Government webpage:
https://www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_fa/2021_425.html