The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in Hong Kong has found non-permissible levels of coliform bacteria in a prepackaged sorbet sample.
The affected product is 450ml Mango Gelato with Best before date 28 February 2016 and is manufactured by Wealthy Making and distributed by da dolce Gelato Italiano.
CFS tested a sample of the sorbet from Taste at Maritime Square, Tsing Yi, under its regular Food Surveillance Programme. It found that the product contained a coliform count of 180 per gram, exceeding the legal limit.
As per the Frozen Confections Regulation, each gram of frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 100 coliform organisms.
The excess count of coliform indicates that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory and this could lead to food poisoning.
The food safety regulator has ordered the vendor to stop selling the affected product immediately. It said it will follow up on the case and take appropriate actions including collecting follow-up samples for testing to safeguard food safety and public health.
