December 20, 2007

Tainted materials blamed for Hong Kong contaminated canned meat imports

Contamination in raw materials has been verified as the cause of chemical contents discovered in canned meat products made by a Shanghai food company.

The Shanghai Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau has ordered an export suspension of all food products, including canned meat, seafood, fruit and vegetables, made by Shanghai Maling Aquarius Co. Ltd after Hong Kong hygiene authority detected chemical contents in the company's canned meat on December 3.

Hong Kong's Food and Environment Hygiene Department said that low levels of nitrofurans metabolite had been found in canned Ma Ling, a low salt pork luncheon. 

The bureau carried out an investigation into the company's food processing and detected that about 3.2 tonnes of raw materials were bought in September last year from a company in another province that had been contaminated, a bureau spokesman said.

The company processed the tainted materials on December 26 last year, said the spokesman, without indicating the cause of the contamination.

The company started recalling all products made from the tainted materials on December 10.

The bureau spokesman said they would tighten surveillance on the company's processing procedures. He did not say when the export ban would be lifted.

Nitrofurans is a kind of drug derived from furan that is used to inhibit bacterial growth. Frequent ingestion of nitrofurans is poisonous and might even cause cancer or death.

Ma Ling has won many domestic and international awards for its food products, including canned meat and sticky rice. More than 50 percent of its products are sold in many countries in Asia and Europe.