Milk with high total bacterial counts

Hong Kong: The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has found two samples from different batches of pasteurised fresh whole milk from the Netherlands that had total bacterial counts exceeding the legal limit.

Holland Organics brand of Dutch Organic Fresh Whole Milk 1L manufactured by Veco Zuivel B.V and imported by Angliss Hong Kong Food Service with use by dates October 2 and 3, 2017 are affected.

A CFS spokesman: "The test results showed that the total bacterial count of one sample (use-by date: October 2, 2017) was 120,000 per millilitre and another sample (use-by date: October 3, 2017) was 88,000 per millilitre. According to the Milk Regulation (Cap 132 AQ), milk after heat treatment by means of pasteurisation should not contain more than 30 000 bacteria per millilitre."​

The spokesman added the bacterial counts indicated the hygienic conditions were unsatisfactory but did not mean it would lead to food poisoning. The concerned batches have not entered the market.