4th September 2026 – (Hong Kong) The Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department has advised the public not to consume three batches of French cheese after a European alert flagged possible contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Traders in possession of the affected items have been told to cease use or sale immediately. The authority said it received the notification via the European Commission’s Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed and a preliminary check confirmed the consignments had entered Hong Kong through local importers.
The products involved are all from the French brand Paturages Comtois. They are: “Brie 3kg 50%” (lot 00000BPBY1, use‑by 1st October 2026; importer: Noja Fine Trade Limited; hotline: 2178 2229); “Brie 60% 1kg Grand Export” (lot 00000BXCG1, use‑by 10th October 2026; importer: Maxly Food Company Limited; hotline: 2552 7128); and “Pointe De Brie 180g” (lot 000000BXCG, use‑by 30th August 2026; importer: King Rise (Asia) Limited; hotline: 2492 2677). The importers have suspended sales, removed the affected batches from shelves and started recalls as instructed.
The Centre for Food Safety and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department reminded consumers that while normal cooking destroys Listeria monocytogenes, the organism can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperatures, posing heightened risks to pregnant women, newborns, older people and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms can include fever, muscle aches, headache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, and in severe cases septicaemia or meningitis. Anyone who has eaten the affected cheeses and feels unwell should seek medical advice.
Members of the public may contact the importers via the listed hotlines during office hours for recall enquiries. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Centre for Food Safety have published the advisory and will monitor follow‑up action with the companies concerned.