Hong Kong warns against eating French Camembert over E. coli risk
Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety urged the public not to eat a batch of French Camembert cheese possibly contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing E. coli. The affected product, imported by Repertoire Culinaire Hong Kong Limited, is being recalled. The centre is investigating.
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety (CFS) on 7 October urged the public not to eat a batch of imported pre-packaged Camembert cheese that may be contaminated with Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (E. coli). The affected product is Camembert Bertrand Crémier 250g, originating from France, with a best-before date of 17 October 2026 and batch number 232511. The importer is Repertoire Culinaire Hong Kong Limited.
The CFS said it received a notification via the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) about the possible contamination and a recall. Preliminary investigation found that the importer had brought the affected batch into Hong Kong.
The importer has followed CFS instructions to stop sales, remove the product from shelves, and initiate a recall. Members of the public can contact the importer’s hotline at 3758 2754 during office hours for recall-related enquiries.
Shiga toxin-producing E. coli can spread through water and food, causing intestinal infections. Consuming contaminated water or undercooked, contaminated food may lead to infection. In some cases, those infected may develop intestinal bleeding and serious complications such as haemolytic uremic syndrome.
The CFS has notified the trade and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.