Hong Kong – Suspension of import and sale of raw oysters harvested in zone 50.14 in Manche in France – Norovirus

Food Alert

Suspension of import and sale of raw oysters harvested in zone 50.14 in Manche in France

Issue Date	23.2.2018
Source of Information	Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission
Food Product	Raw oysters
Product Name and Description	Raw oysters harvested in zone 50.14 in Manche in France
Reason For Issuing Alert	The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that raw oysters harvested in zone 50.14 in Manche in France were found to be contaminated with norovirus and are under recall. According to the information provided by the RASFF, a small quantity of raw oysters harvested in the area concerned were imported into Hong Kong. For the sake of prudence, the CFS has immediately suspended the import into and sale within Hong Kong of all raw oysters harvested in the area concerned.
Action Taken by the Centre for Food Safety	The CFS will inform the French authorities of the import suspension and will also notify the local trade. The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action to safeguard food safety and public health.
Advice to the Trade	Stop selling the product concerned.
Advice to Consumers	Not to consume the product concerned. Susceptible groups, such as pregnant women, young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems or liver diseases, should avoid eating raw oysters.
Further Information	The CFS Press Release