Imported frozen confection sample detected with total bacterial count exceeding legal limit
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 8) that a sample of frozen confection imported from Singapore was detected with total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit. The affected batch of product has been marked and sealed, and has not entered the market. The CFS is following up on the incident.
Product details are as follows:
Product name:The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.Hazelnut Cacao Frozen Dessert
Brand: The Ice Cream & Cookie Co.
Place of origin: Singapore
Importer: Creme Concepts (HK) Limited
Packing: 473 ml
Best-before date:March 24, 2026
A spokesman for the CFS said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned sample at the import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test results showed that the total bacterial count of the sample was 71 000 per gram, exceeding the legal limit."
Under the Frozen Confections Regulation (Cap. 132AC), frozen confection for sale should not contain more than 50 000 bacteria per gram. The maximum penalty for offenders is a fine of $10,000 and three months' imprisonment upon conviction. The fact that the total bacterial count exceeded the legal limit indicated that the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory, but did not mean that consumption would lead to food poisoning.
The CFS has informed the importer concerned of the irregularity. An investigation revealed that the affected batch of the product is still stored in the importer's warehouse. It has not entered the local market. The CFSwilltemporarily suspend the permission to import for sale of the product concerned granted earlier to the importer. Other types of similar products of the same brand being sold in the market are not affected.
The CFSwill informthe Singapore authority of the incident, and will continue to follow up on the case and take appropriate action.
Meeting attendance of members of District Councils in 2024
The Home Affairs Department (HAD) made the following clarifications today (January 2) regarding certain media reports on the meeting attendance of the current-term members of the District Councils (DCs) in 2024:
(1) The current-term DC members were diligent in their work, with over 98 per cent of 470 members having attended all DC meetings or were only absent with the DC's consent; over 90 per cent having attended all committee/working group meetings or were only absent with the DC's consent. Aside from attending DC meetings, each DC member on average attended 28 committee/working group meetings;
(2) all DC members fulfilled the requirement under the Performance Monitoring Guidelines for Members of the DCs (the Guidelines), i.e. attendance rate of not lower than 80 per cent and no DC members were in violation of the requirement; certain reports were incorrect in stating that some DC members were in violation of the Guidelines due to their absence at meetings since absence at an individual meeting was not a violation in itself; and
(3) for the purpose of calculating attendance, the Guidelines stipulate certain reasons for absence that would be consented by the DCs, including sickness and attendance at another meeting or an activity on behalf of the DCs etc. If a DC member were absent from meetings due to the aforementioned reasons with the DC's consent, the absence would not affect his/her attendance rate. If a DC member were absent from meetings due to other reasons (i.e. personal matters), the absence would be counted towards his/her attendance rate.
The HAD hoped that media outlets and members of the public would have an accurate understanding of DC members' attendance situation at meetings. The current-term DC members' attendance rate at meetings was the highest amongst all previous terms, which fully demonstrated DC members' efforts and work in improving governance at the district level.
