Meadows Skimmed Milk Colony Count Exceeds Standard, Product Sealed
HK01 · 4 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced on November 11 that a pre-packaged milk sample was found to have colony count exceeding legal standards. The affected product, Meadows brand ultra-high temperature processed skimmed milk from Australia, has been sealed in the importer's warehouse and never entered the market. The centre has temporarily revoked the import permit and is following up on the case.
Key Points
- Product is Meadows ultra-high temperature processed skimmed milk, 1 liter per box, best before May 29, 2027
- Importer is Milk Company Limited; sample detected with ten or more colonies, exceeding the Dairy Products Regulation (Cap. 132AQ) standard
- The affected batch remains sealed in the importer's warehouse with no market entry; the centre has temporarily revoked the import permit
- Centre confirms current market availability of the same brand's similar products is unaffected by this incident
- The centre states that elevated colony count indicates suboptimal hygiene but does not necessarily cause food poisoning
Why It Matters
The incident demonstrates Hong Kong's robust food safety surveillance system, which intercepts potential hazards at the import stage before reaching consumers. While the affected product never entered the market, the case highlights the importance of the centre's routine food monitoring programme in protecting public health through early detection of substandard products .
The incident demonstrates Hong Kong's robust food safety surveillance system, which intercepts potential hazards at the import stage before reaching consumers. While the affected product never entered the market, the case highlights the importance of the centre's routine food monitoring programme in protecting public health through early detection of substandard products .