One-hundred samples of ready-to-eat food with a long shelf life have passed Centre of Food Safety tests for listeria.
Briefing reporters today, the centre’s Principal Medical Officer Dr Yeung Tze-kiu said 28 cheeses, 28 smoked seafood items, 28 processed meats and 16 salads were examined.
They were stored in a refrigerator until the week they expired. They were then tested for Listeria monocytogenes and other microbiological quality indicators.
All samples had less than 20 listeria colony-forming units per gram, which is the threshold.
For other microbiological quality indicators, 11 samples were found to be unsatisfactory, and the centre gave health advice to the food premises concerned and conducted follow-up tests. All follow-up samples were satisfactory.
The centre recommended that high risk people, such as pregnant woman, the elderly, and those with a weak immune system, should avoid eating refrigerated ready-to-eat food with a long shelf life, and avoid dairy products made from raw milk, such as soft cheese.
