June 30, 2001
The Department of Health (DH) and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) are jointly investigating five reports of clenbuterol food poisoning involving 12 persons.
The 12 persons comprise five male and seven female aged between two and 70. They developed tremor and palpitation after consumption of pig liver and kidney from June 20 to 26.
All the patients have recovered completely.
Members of the public are reminded to patronise reputable retailers when buying pig offal.
Initial investigations revealed that the pig liver and kidney were bought from markets in East Kowloon, Northern and Northwestern New Territories. FEHD had immediately inspected the fresh provision shops concerned and called on them to surrender their pig offal.
FEHD had also delivered health education to fresh provision shop operators in the markets.
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. Efforts targeted at clenbuterol contamination have been stepped up.