The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (August 4) urged the public not to consume two kinds of ice cream from France, because the products may be contaminated with a pesticide, ethylene oxide, which is not authorised by the European Union (EU). The trade should stop using or selling the products concerned immediately if they possess them.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Häagen-Dazs Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream
Brand: Häagen-Dazs
Place of origin: France
Net volumes: (i) 9.46 litres and (ii) 100 millilitres
Best-before dates: (i) June 13, 2023, and (ii) May 20, 2023, May 21, 2023, June 8, 2023, and June 9, 2023
importer: General Mills Hong Kong Limited

Product name: Häagen-Dazs cookies & Cream Ice Cream
Brand: Häagen-Dazs
Place of origin: France
Net volumes: (i) 80 millilitres, (ii) 3 x 80 millilitres, (iii) 100 millilitres, (iv) 473 millilitres and (v) 9.46 litres
Best-before dates: (i) May 22, 2023, (ii) May 23, 2023, and June 21, 2023, (iii) May 17, 2023, and May 29, 2023, (iv) June 11, 2023, and (v) May 29, 2023, and May 30, 2023
importer: General Mills Hong Kong Limited

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS received a notification from the Rapid alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) of the European Commission that the above-mentioned products may be contaminated with a pesticide, ethylene oxide, which is not authorised by the EU. According to the information provided by the RASFF, the affected products have been imported into Hong Kong. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow-up. Preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batches of the products concerned."

Since ethylene oxide is not authorised by the EU, for the sake of prudence, the above-mentioned importer has stopped selling and removed from shelves the affected batches of the products upon the CFS's instructions and has initiated a recall. Members of the public may call the relevant importer at 2280 4996 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.
The spokesman urged the public not to consume the affected batches of the products if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batches of the products concerned immediately if they possess them.

The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.