Hong Kong – Food Alert Not to consume a kind of imported prepackaged sauce suspected to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes

Brand : Roza’s Gourmet

Place of origin: Australia

Importer: Chef’s Garden Limited

Packing: 160 grams per pack

Best-before dates: June 5, and June 21, 2019

• The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Australian authorities through the International Food Safety Authorities Network (INFOSAN) that the abovementioned batches of the affected product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is being recalled. According to the information provided by INFOSAN, the above local importer has imported the affected batches of the product into Hong Kong.
• Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns.

• The CFS immediately contacted the importer concerned for follow up. Preliminary investigation showed that the importer had imported eight cartons of the abovementioned batches of the product and some of them were sold. The CFS has instructed the importer to stop sale and remove from shelves the affected batches of the product and initiate a recall.
• The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, continue to follow up and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.

Enquiries about the recall can be made to the importer’s hotline at 2501 5811 during office hours.