Bacterial Contamination of Dragon Boat Brand Canned Shiitake Mushrooms
Thursday 2 May 2002
Category D: For information only
Food authorities were advised in Food Hazard Warning 10/2002 about bacterial contamination of Po-Ku Pagoda Brand canned mushrooms, the implicated batch of which had been distributed only to Northern Ireland.
Since then further samples have been taken in Northern Ireland and England of other batches of Chinese canned mushrooms, including that of another brand (ie Dragon Boat), believed to be from the same manufacturer.
Some of these results are now available and aerobic growth has been detected in unopened cans sampled in Northern Ireland.
Therefore, the Food Standards Agency (Northern Ireland) has today issued a category B food hazard warning for:
Product:
Shiitake Canned Mushrooms
Brand Name:
Dragon Boat
Can Size:
284grammes/10 ounces
Can Coding (on the lid):
L 7 1
011026
846
As before the FSA has been advised that the ‘011026’ part of the code indicates the production date of 26/10/2001.
The remainder of the code above this is the factory number, province and shift number, and below this is the product code.
Can coding (sticker applied to label on cans sampled): Best Before End Oct 2004
Can coding (on the base): 3300/01007
Additional Information:
As well as their food hazard warning, the Food Standards Agency (Northern Ireland) will be issuing a press release to publicise the issue for consumers there, and will co-ordinate action by Northern Ireland local authorities in ensuring any implicated product in food premises is withdrawn from sale and destroyed.
Whether this affected brand and batch is available elsewhere in the UK is being investigated, and further urgent enquiries are being made via the respective local authorities for the two companies who supplied the retailer in Northern Ireland.
Local authorities will be advised when any further information becomes available. In the meantime, local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales are not requested to take any action.