The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (Jan. 7) announced that a sample of dan dan noodles was found to contain excessive Clostridium perfringens, a pathogen. The CFS is following up on the incident.
It was reported that the sample came from the restaurant Mr. Cha Fan in TKO Gateway, Hau Tak Estate, Tseung Kwan O.
A spokesman for the CFS said, "Following up on a related food incident, the CFS collected the above-mentioned sample from a restaurant in Tseung Kwan O for testing. The test result showed that the sample contained Clostridium perfringens at a level of 180,000 per gram. According to the Microbiological Guidelines for Food, ready-to-eat food that contains more than 10,000 Clostridium perfringens per gram is considered unsatisfactory."
"The CFS has instantly sent staff to the restaurant for conducting investigation and taking food samples for laboratory testing. The restaurant concerned has also been informed of the irregularity. The restaurant has already stopped selling and discarded the affected product according to the CFS's advice. The CFS has also provided health education on food safety and hygiene to the person-in-charge and staff of the restaurant, and requested it to improve food preparation process, and carry out thorough cleaning and disinfection," the spokesman said.
Clostridium perfringens is widely distributed in the environment. Foods prepared in bulk, especially cooked meat and poultry dishes, and stored at ambient temperatures with a long cooling period after cooking are at high risk. Consuming food contaminated with excessive Clostridium perfringens may cause symptoms such as abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.
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