June 19, 2013

China probes copper sulphate-tainted egg allegations

Following a scandal revealed in a media report, China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) began to check for food companies processing lime-preserved eggs with copper sulphate.

On Friday (Jun 14), China Central Television reported that some egg-processing plants are suspected of using copper sulphate in the pickling of lime-preserved eggs, a black-coloured cold dish popular around the country. Copper Sulphate can be poisonous if swallowed.

The SFDA ordered the Jiangxi provincial food and drug administration to investigate the issue immediately, and required industrial and commercial administrative departments, quality supervision departments, as well as food and drug administrative departments nation-wide to carry out investigation on all producers of lime-preserved eggs.

Food additives and processing aid will be the focus of the investigation, said the SFDA, adding that companies found using copper sulphate to process preserved eggs will have their production licenses suspended and will be punished according to law and those suspected of violating the criminal law will be turned over to the police.