CFS Confirms All Mooncake Samples Pass Safety Tests Ahead of Mid-Autumn Festival

Test results of seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase) all satisfactory

​The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (September 10) announced the results of a seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase). The results of 186 samples tested were all satisfactory. In summary, all testing results for mooncakes in this project have met the testing standards.

A spokesman for the CFS said that the first-phase test results on mooncakes had been released earlier. In the second-phase surveillance, the CFS continued to collect samples covering traditional, snowy, ice-cream and other types of mooncakes from various retailers (including online retailers) and food factories for chemical and microbiological tests, and nutrition content analysis.

Chemical tests covered preservatives, antioxidants and mineral oil. Microbiological tests covered various pathogens and hygiene indicators. For nutrition content analyses (covering the contents of energy, protein, total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids, carbohydrates, sodium and sugars), the samples were tested to see if they complied with the food labelling requirements.

The spokesman reminded members of the public to maintain a balanced diet and avoid excessive consumption of mooncakes as they are generally high in sugar and fat. Some types of mooncakes also contain relatively high levels of salt. Eating too much fat will increase the risk of being overweight and obese, while dietary sugar intake is a determinant of body weight and dental caries. In addition, excessive sodium intake will increase the risk of developing hypertension, fatal stroke and coronary heart disease.

He advised people to refer to nutrition labels of mooncakes, particularly on the sugar, salt and fat contents, to make a healthier choice. People should avoid choosing mooncakes with high levels of fat or sugar, i.e. containing more than 20 grams of total fat or more than 15g of sugar per 100g of food. As for reducing salt intake, people can choose low-sodium mooncakes, i.e. containing no more than 120 milligrams of sodium per 100g of food.

The spokesman said that people should consider their health conditions and consume mooncakes in an appropriate amount during the Mid-Autumn Festival. He advised people to share mooncakes with their family members and friends, as this not only enhances the festive atmosphere, but also allows them to taste mooncakes of different flavours and avoid overconsumption.

Members of the public should heed the following points in the purchase, storage and consumption of mooncakes to prevent food-borne diseases:

＊Buy mooncakes from reliable outlets rather than patronising unlicensed hawkers. Check whether the mooncakes are properly packaged, pay attention to the expiry dates before purchase and eat them before the expiry dates;

＊Store mooncakes according to the instructions on the package if they are not to be consumed immediately. Keep snowy mooncakes at 4 degrees Celsius or below, and ice-cream mooncakes at minus 18 degrees C or below, and consume them as soon as possible after taking them out from the refrigerator;

＊Use an icebox to carry snowy or ice-cream mooncakes outdoors and consume them as soon as possible;

＊Wrap mooncakes properly and separate them from raw food when storing in a refrigerator to prevent cross-contamination; and

＊Maintain good personal hygiene. Wash hands properly with liquid soap and running water before handling and consuming mooncakes.

The spokesman also reminded food traders to adhere to the Good Hygiene Practices. Apart from purchasing food ingredients from reliable suppliers, they should also comply with legal requirements when using food additives.

"Snowy and ice-cream mooncakes, which do not undergo a baking process at high temperature, need to be handled hygienically during processing, transportation and storage to avoid contamination and growth of germs," he said.

Test results of seasonal food surveillance project on mooncakes (second phase) all satisfactory Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Illegal worker jailed

A Pakistani illegal worker, holding a recognisance form, was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (September 16).

During a joint operation conducted by the Immigration Department (ImmD) and the Hong Kong Police Force codenamed "Powerplayer" on July 16, investigators raided a hawker pitch on Tung Choi Street in Mong Kok District. A Paskitani man, aged 30, was arrested while assembling the hawker pitch. Upon identity checking, he produced a recognisance form issued by the ImmD for inspection, which prohibits him from taking employment.Further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant.

The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday with taking employment while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. After trial, he was sentenced to 22 months and two weeks' imprisonment.

The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order,an overstayeror a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment.

The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order,an overstayeror a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences.The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability.The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.

According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law and employ illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.

Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct aninitial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation, with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threats and coercion in the recruitment phase and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.

Source: AI-generated images