Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety said on August 29, 2026 that a sample of Taiwan-imported Shin Dong Yang Hsinchu Rice Vermicelli contained 12 parts per million of formaldehyde. It instructed the distributor to stop selling and recall the affected batch.
The product has a net weight of 300 grams and a best-before date of April 10, 2029. It was imported from Taiwan and distributed in Hong Kong by B&S Company.
The sample was collected from an online shop as part of the Centre’s food-monitoring programme. The Centre instructed the distributor to remove the product from shelves and urged the public not to consume the affected batch.
About 450 cartons had been held and sealed at the distributor’s warehouse, according to the Centre. The sources did not give the number of packages already distributed or sold.
Ming Pao reported that B&S Company had provided a recall hotline, 3628 7800, available during office hours. People with the affected product should not consume it and can contact the distributor through the hotline.
The Centre told Ming Pao that the detected level would not cause adverse health effects under normal consumption. The newspaper also reported the Centre as saying that Hong Kong law prohibits adding formaldehyde to food as a preservative.
The Centre said it had recently tested more than 70 food samples, including Chinese cabbage, other vegetables and rice vermicelli, without finding any other failures. Ming Pao also reported that more than 175 rice vermicelli samples tested for various purposes, including formaldehyde, from January 2023 through July 2026 had all passed.
The Centre said its follow-up investigation was continuing.