The Municipal Affairs Bureau (IAM) continues to conduct routine supervisory sampling tests for food safety to assess the consumption risks and hygiene conditions of food products available on the market. In the third quarter this year, a total of 689 food samples were randomly collected from the market in Macao for testing. Apart from the five samples previously announced and followed up on, all other samples passed the tests, achieving an overall pass rate of 99.3%.
689 samples randomly collected for microbiological and chemical testing
IAM tested a total of 689 randomly collected samples in the third quarter, consisting of 405 general food products available on the market and 284 food samples from food and beverage establishments. The sampling locations covered food establishments, takeaway shops, cooked food centres, supermarkets, retail establishments of fresh and live food, grocery stores, etc. in various districts of Macao. Microbiological and chemical testing have been conducted on the samples. The microbiological tests screened for common pathogens such as Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus, while the chemical tests covered heavy metals, food additives, prohibited substances, etc.
The five samples that failed to pass the tests included a sample of “Hac San fried noodles” containing an excessive amount of sulphur dioxide; a sample of loose-packed dried lily bulb containing an excessive amount of the heavy metal cadmium; a prepackaged black truffle sauce titled “Black Truffle Sauce 5%” containing an excessive amount of the heavy metal total arsenic; and two siu-mei samples containing Listeria monocytogenes at levels exceeding the limit stipulated in food safety guidelines. Besides tracing the origin of the goods, IAM immediately ordered the involved businesses to remove the affected products from the shelves and stop selling them. The incidents were also announced to remind the sector to strengthen food hygiene management, so as to safeguard food safety for the public.
Continuous prevention and control of food safety risks
IAM will continuously conduct supervisory sampling tests for food safety as well as hygiene inspections of establishments, and implement preventive and control measures once any food safety risks are identified. Food business operators are reminded to ensure their operations comply with the “Food Safety Law” and other relevant regulations. Members of the public are welcome to view the details of the routine sampling tests for food safety in the third quarter of 2026 uploaded to IAM’s Food Safety Information website at www.iam.gov.mo/foodsafety/e.
