The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) has been informed by the Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency recently that the packaging of two batches of Maruto brand Castella cakes may be bloated or swollen due to fermentation, according to an IAM statement yesterday.
The problematic products, the “6-piece Nagasaki Castella” and “1-piece Nagasaki Castella (Flat)”, with the product barcodes of 4978498003000 and 4978498003017, as well as best-before-date of October 17, 2024, are being recalled due to the quality issue.
The bureau said in a statement yesterday that it has issued a food alert to warn local retailers about the product, adding the bureau is also dispatching IAM officials to look out for the product.
Castella cake, or “Kasutera,” is a traditional Japanese sponge cake.
Listeria bacteria found in takeaway
In addition, the bureau said in a separate statement yesterday that during its regular food sampling inspection, an excessive amount of Listeria monocytogenes has been detected in a sample of a salad product branded “Quiche”, a kind of savoury French tart, in a takeaway eatery.
The problematic tart was sampled from the “春田花花” takeaway shop located on Rua da Mitra, the statement said, adding that on-site investigations revealed that the food storage and operational conditions at the eatery were subpar, posing a risk of cross-contamination.
The statement said that the bureau immediately ordered the takeaway to stop selling the product, while requiring the shop to deep-clean and disinfect the storage areas, cooking appliances and utensils.
According to the statement, people who eat Listeria monocytopenia-contaminated products could develop symptoms such as fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The statement underlined that newborns, senior citizens and people with weak immune systems could suffer from serious complications or even die.
The statement noted that Listeria monocytogenes can survive and multiply in cold temperatures, but can be destroyed by “thorough heating”.
This undated handout photo provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows one of the problematic Maruto brand Castella cakes.
