The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 19) urged the public not to consume a kind of cup noodles imported from Japan, because it was found with a pesticide, ethylene oxide. The trade should stop using or selling the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

Product details are as follows:

Product name: Acecook premium golden salt ramen

Brand: Acecook

Place of origin: Japan

Net weight: 101 grams

Best-before date: September 9, 2022

importer: Man Tung Trading Company Limited

A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS earlier through its Food Incident Surveillance System noted a notification from the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration that the above-mentioned product was found with ethylene oxide at a level that is not complying with its local standard. Upon learning of the incident and according to the information provided by the Taiwanese authorities, the CFS immediately contacted local importers for follow-up. Preliminary investigation found that the above-mentioned importer had imported into Hong Kong the affected batch of the product concerned."

Since ethylene oxide is not authorised by the European Union, for the sake of prudence, the above-mentioned importer has stopped selling and removed from shelves the affected batch of the product upon the CFS's instructions and has initiated a recall. Members of the public may call the importer's hotline at 2947 7038 during office hours for enquiries about the recall.

The spokesman urged the public not to consume the affected batch of the product if they have bought any. The trade should also stop using or selling the affected batch of the product concerned immediately if they possess it.

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