October 8, 2000
The Department of Health (DH) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) are today (October 8) jointly investigating five suspected cases of clenbuterol food poisoning involving 14 persons.
The development followed receipt of notification from four public hospitals in the New Territories involving four male and 10 female aged between six and 51. Symptoms included tremor and palpitation after consumption of pig offal at their homes during the three days ending October 7.
The condition of all 14 are now stable.
Initial investigations revealed that the pig offal was bought from markets in Tai Po and Shatin. FEHD immediately inspected the fresh provision shops concerned and called on them to surrender their pig offal.
FEHD has also distributed health education leaflets to fresh provision shop operators in the markets in Tai Po and Shatin.
Members of the public are reminded to patronise reputable retailers when buying pork and pig offal.
Clenbuterol is included in FEHD's food surveillance programme. To tackle the problem of clenbuterol contamination in pork products, an established screening and tracing system is in place.