The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) announced in a statement yesterday that a brand of black truffle sauce has been found to contain excess arsenic.
Through routine food sampling, the statement said, the bureau detected excessive levels of arsenic – a heavy metal – in a pre-packaged black truffle paste originating from Hong Kong.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau has taken immediate follow-up action, ordering the merchant concerned to stop selling and to recall the affected batch of the product, while urging members of the public to stop consuming it, according to the statement.
The brand of the product in question is “Familie”, which is one of the house brands under the Hong Kong retail chain Best Mart 360°. The product is named “Black Truffle Sauce Natural Truffle 5%”, with a net weight of 192 grams and a best-before date of 11 November 2027, the statement noted. The sample was found to contain arsenic at 0.60 milligrams per kilogram, which exceeds the limits stipulated in the standard “Maximum Limits of Heavy Metal Contaminants in Food”.
Arsenic is a toxic heavy metal element widely found in the environment. People primarily ingest this substance through food and drinking water, the statement noted. Arsenic poisoning can damage the skin, blood vessels, nervous system, and urinary system, affect foetal development, and increase the risk of developing skin, liver, bladder, and lung cancers, the statement said, adding that based on the analysis of the arsenic content detected in the sample in question, the likelihood of adverse health effects from normal consumption is relatively low.
The Municipal Affairs Bureau urged consumers who have purchased products from the affected batch through any channel to stop consuming them immediately. The trade should also cease supplying and selling the product without delay. The bureau will continue to follow up on the matter to prevent the affected product from remaining in circulation, the statement said.
This undated handout provided by the Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) yesterday shows the problematic black truffle sauce found to contain excess arsenic.
