A Hong Kong baby food producer has voluntarily recalled several products from store shelves as a precaution after parents and online users raised concerns that they might contain rice weevils.
Baby Basic said on Wednesday that the recall covered “instant baby congee – konbu salmon”, with an expiry date of June 22, 2027, and three varieties of its “instant rice-shaped pasta”: salmon and cream; tomato and chicken; and vegetable and beef.
It also suspended production of all three pasta varieties.
The company, which was founded in 2015, said refunds were available to customers who bought the affected products, and consumers could contact its hotline on 3563 6236 or WhatsApp on 6994 4069.
The recall was initiated after the company received a report involving the vegetable and beef flavour of the instant rice-shaped pasta, which was suspected of containing the weevils.
Baby Basic stressed that the recall was a precautionary measure intended to reassure parents, adding that government food-safety tests had not confirmed any health risks.
It said rice weevils were a relatively common contaminant in wheat‑based ingredients and could enter the production process along with raw materials.
To reduce the risk of insects reaching the production line, the company has adopted colour‑sorting and vibration screening to strengthen ingredient checks.
However, it said rice weevils could be present in the crops’ growing environment and might escape detection during screening before entering the manufacturing or packaging process.
Earlier this month, media reports said a parent had claimed that her nine-month-old daughter nearly swallowed what appeared to be a cotton ball while eating Baby Basic’s instant baby congee in the “konbu salmon” flavour.
The infant managed to spit it out, and the parent later contacted the brand and provided a video clip.
Baby Basic said the Centre for Food Safety had tested samples from the incident and found the fragments were only plant material, containing common dietary fibres, with no insects or foreign matter detected.
The centre also tested about 45 other samples of the brand’s baby food from the market and found no irregularities. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
