The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement that it was notified by Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety – which had been alerted by Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain – that two bottled olive oil products may contain mineral oils, specifically mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH).
The affected products, under the brand “Olitalia,” comprise Olitalia Pomace Olive Oil in 1-litre and 5-litre capacities across all batches, and were packaged in Italy, the statement said.
The bureau has issued an immediate food alert to the local food sector and dispatched inspectors to conduct market checks, the statement added.
Mineral oils can migrate into food through environmental contaminants, packaging printing inks, processing aids, or machinery lubricants. Long-term or high-volume intake of these substances may pose health risks, according to the statement.
The bureau urged consumers to immediately stop consuming the affected products, regardless of whether they were acquired online, via proxy purchasing agents, or through other channels. Businesses in possession of the items should immediately halt their supply and sale, and contact IAM’s Department of Food Safety on 2833 8181. The bureau added that it will continue following up on the incident to prevent the products from circulating in the local market.
This undated handout photo download from Olitalia’s official website yesterday shows its problematic product ‘Olitalia Pomace Olive Oil’ (1L capacity, all batches).
