The Centre for Food Safety has ordered a licensed general restaurant in Wah Kwai Estate, Aberdeen, to stop selling beef congee and dispose of related raw materials after a sample was found to contain sulphur dioxide at 680 parts per million, exceeding legal limits, the department announced on Wednesday.
The sample was collected under the CFS's routine Food Surveillance Programme. The eatery involved is Congee Fuk Lee at Shop 21 on the ground floor of Wah Kwai Square, Wah Kwai Estate.
Under the Preservatives in Food Regulation, the maximum penalty for violating preservative rules is a HK$50,000 fine and six months imprisonment.
Sulphur dioxide is a preservative permitted in certain foods but is not allowed in fresh or chilled meat. Some traders illegally add it to meat to enhance colour. The chemical can be mostly removed by washing and cooking, but those allergic may experience asthma, headaches or nausea after consumption.
