February 8, 2007

Hong Kong cautions Vietnam over contaminated eggs

The Hong Kong Centre for Food Safety (CFS) has notified the Vietnam General Consulate in Hong Kong of its concern regarding its eggs which contains the colorant sudan, which is believed to be carcinogenic or a cancer-causing agent.

CFS has requested officials from the Vietnam embassy to provide information whether the Vietnamese government have taken actions on the issue as well as seeking more sanitary requirements on Vietnamese egg imports.

Hong Kong sources 16 million pieces or 0.9 percent of eggs from Vietnam.

Dao Tran Nhan, deputy director of the Asia Pacific Department under the Ministry of Trade warns that Hong Kong will have stricter policies on Vietnamese imported eggs if the problem is not immediately addressed. 

In November 2006, Chinese eggs entering Hong Kong were also discovered to contain sudan which prompted the country's State General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) to modify more austere policies on eggs coming from China.

The incident also compelled Hong Kong to require egg-exporting countries a certificate of food hygiene and sanitation before it can enter their market.

As Hong Kong's two husbandry farms can only meet 0.01 percent of the total demand, the country imports 1.7 billion eggs regularly. Of this amount, China provides 1.065 billion eggs, accounting for 62 percent of the market share, US with 389 million units or 23 percent, Germany, 127 million and Thailand with 83 million or 5 percent.

Recently, the World Veterinary Association has adjusted regulations related to the control over poultry eggs and suggested that countries should keep strict control over egg imports.