A batch of skimmed milk from Australia has been found to contain high levels of bacteria and is being recalled by its sole importer in Hong Kong, the city's health authorities said Thursday.

香港卫生部门周四说，来自澳大利亚的某批次脱脂牛奶被发现细菌超标，该牛奶在香港的唯一进口商目前正在召回这批牛奶。

The Centre for Food Safety said it had discovered during sample testing that the batch of Pura slim milk, a popular brand among consumers in Hong Kong who are worried about food safety in China, had a bacterial count a thousand times above the legal limit. The importer, Nowaday International Development Ltd., stopped selling the affected product and has begun recalling it but didn't provide details on the total volume involved.

香港食物安全中心(Centre for Food Safety)说，在检测样品中发现宝莱(Pura)脱脂奶的细菌数量是规定数量的1,000倍。这个牛奶品牌深受担忧内地食品安全问题的香港消费者喜爱。进口宝莱的商家Nowaday International Development Ltd.已停售问题产品并开始召回，但没有透露有关问题牛奶总数量等细节。

The Centre for Food Safety said the affected milk was being sold at several supermarket chains. It advised the public not to consume Pura slim milk in one-liter packs with an expiration date of May 26.

香港食物安全中心说，问题牛奶曾在几个连锁超市出售。该中心建议市民，不要饮用保质期截止到5月26日的一升装宝莱脱脂牛奶。

The city's two largest supermarket chains─ParknShop and Wellcome─said they had received notices from Nowaday International earlier this week and had stopped selling the milk but gave no details on how much had already been sold.

香港的两个最大连锁超市百佳(ParknShop)和惠康(Wellcome)说，已于本周早些时候接到Nowaday International的通知，停售问题牛奶，但没有具体提及已售数量。

'The total bacterial count exceeding the legal limit indicates unsatisfactory hygienic conditions but doesn't mean it would lead to food poisoning,' a Centre for Food Safety spokesman said in the statement.

香港食物安全中心发言人在声明中说：总含菌量超出法例标准，显示产品的卫生情况欠理想，但并不表示饮用后会引致食物中毒的情况。

The health authority said it had informed the Australian authorities and that it would monitor the recall of the affected product and take appropriate action if needed.

该中心说，已通知澳洲当局，会监察受影响产品的召回情况，采取适当跟进行动。

Lion, which was acquired by Japan's Kirin Holdings Co. 2503.TO -5.62% in 2009 and makes Pura milk, said there is no evidence of any food safety hazard despite the test results from the Hong Kong authorities.

宝莱牛奶由Lion生产，后者在2009年被日本麒麟啤酒公司(Kirin Holdings Co.)收购。Lion说，尽管香港当局发布了这样的检测结果，但没有证据表明该牛奶存在任何食品安全隐患。

'A trade withdrawal of Pura milk in Hong Kong has been initiated…due to alleged product spoilage. However, testing results at the time of manufacture and conducted on retention samples from the batch in question have not revealed any out-of-specification results to date,' Lion said in a statement.

Lion在声明中说，现在香港已开始召回宝莱牛奶……原因是有关方面称产品出现腐坏；不过，该批次生产时的测试结果和留样测试结果到目前为止都没有发现任何超标情况。

'We are working closely with our distributor to manage the withdrawal and continue testing to determine where any spoilage may have occurred while in the supply chain,' it said, adding that anyone who wanted a refund could return the product to its point of purchase.

Lion说，我们正与分销商密切合作，做好产品召回工作，同时也在继续检测，以确定供应链的哪个环节可能发生腐坏。该公司还说，希望退款的消费者可把产品退回购买点。