Do not consume a batch of imported pistachio cream product suspected to be contaminated with aflatoxin
Product: Pistacchio Kerman Paste, Imported pistachio cream product, Do not consume a batch of imported pistachio cream product suspected to be contaminated with aflatoxin
Brand/company: Cresco Italia, JJ Global Sourcing
- Product family
- Food & Grocery
- Product type
- Other food
- Issue
- Chemical contamination
- Audience
- General consumers
Reason: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) received a notification from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed of the European Commission, the above-mentioned product is being recalled as it contained aflatoxin B1 exceeding the EU's standard. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow-up and a preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batch of the product. The aflatoxin level of the product also exceeded the local legal standard. The World Health Organization (WHO)'s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified naturally occurring aflatoxins as carcinogenic to humans, and the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives advised that intake of aflatoxins should be reduced to levels as low as reasonably possible although no health-based guidance value has been set. Aflatoxins can lead to liver cancer after long-term ingestion, and the risk for hepatitis B carriers is relatively high.
Consumer action: Not to consume the affected batch of the product.