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Are Hong Kong’s pre-packed salads safe to eat? Health officials warn of general risks

Overall standards in city’s shops are ‘acceptable’, but one of 101 samples tested found to be contaminated

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(Left) Dr Tony Chow and Dr Fong Long-yan present results of a food test conducted on salad samples. Photo: Edward Wong

Pregnant women, children, the elderly and people with weak immune systems should avoid consuming pre-packaged salads because of the risk of infection from a common bacteria found in the food item, Hong Kong authorities said on Friday.

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Tony Chow Chor-yiu, Centre for Food Safety acting principal medical officer, said a form of bacteria found in salads – listeria – could lead to complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death if ingested by people who were vulnerable.

However, he assured the public that the overall hygiene quality of salad products in the city was “acceptable” as all but one of the 101 samples tested fulfilled safety standards.

Food safety experts advise consumers to prepare their own salads where possible. Photo: Edward Wong
Food safety experts advise consumers to prepare their own salads where possible. Photo: Edward Wong

The survey, conducted from September last year to February, involved products drawn from restaurants, wet markets, supermarkets and convenience stores across the city.

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Among the 101 samples, eight contained vegetables from hydroponic farming – plants grown from mineral nutrient solutions instead of soil – and four were from aquaponic sources – plants farmed under a form of aquaculture.

All samples went through microbiological tests for E coli O157, salmonella and listeria, conducted by the public health laboratory services branch of the Health Department.

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