November 24, 2006

Hongkong issues warning on contaminated duck eggs and turbot

Hong Kong authorities estimated that more than 1,000 contaminated eggs are currently circulating in the Hong Kong market after the Mainland announced news of Sudan red detected in eggs from Hunan.

He Yuxian, safety officer from the Food Safety Centre in Hong Kong said that after testing of various egg types, duck eggs imported by Yuhua Trading from China and Hunan eggs sold in a Changsha bay wholesale market contains minute amounts of Sudan Red.

The Food Safety Centre also announced that of five samples of turbot taken from the market earlier, two of them contained minute amounts malachite green. Authorities are still tracing the source of the fish and said they would confiscate and check any turbot found in the market. At the same time, importers have agreed to halt shipments. According to reports, turbot has been withdrawn from most market stalls and shipments were already halted last week as news of contaminants found in them broke out.