May 10, 2007

Singapore agri officials discover toxic chemical in Vietnamese salted eggs

The Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has discovered red sudan from imported salted eggs coming from Vietnam, according to the Vietnam Commercial Affairs Division under Vietnam's Embassy in Singapore.

The chemical has been prohibited in food consignments as it has found to be carcinogenic or a cancer-causing agent.

AVA said it will report its discovery to the Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures of the

World Trade Organization. The situation has also prompted AVA has apply necessary measures to control the imports as only the processing establishments recognized by the agency can export salted eggs and canned eggs to Singapore. The regulation will take affect on July 13, 2007.

AVA has also requested the Vietnam Veterinary Agency a list of the authorized exporters of salted eggs and canned eggs along with its other details to be assessed on June 11 or before the new regulation becomes effective.

Sudan has also been found on exported eggs and for local consumption. Nine out of 19 egg samples taken from Ben Thanh, Cau Ong Lanh markets in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City, and markets in Can Tho City, Dong Thap, Vinh Long and Binh Duong provinces have tested positive for sudan and four of these contained high levels of the chemical. The result was announced by the HCM City Chemistry Association.

Deputy Director of the Animal Husbandry Department under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development Nguyen Thanh Son admits difficulties in resolving the contamination since it is hard to control the production processes of small establishments.

Son says sudan, a colouring dye, aims to make eggs to have beautiful red yolks.
 

The Ministry of Health's Food Hygiene and Safety Agency have tested on April 2 the tainted eggs and could find no sudan in its 30 samples taken from five markets in Hanoi.

The Central Centre for Veterinary Hygiene Inspection No 1 also tested 310 samples of eggs taken from breeding farms, traditional markets and supermarkets and two border gates at Lao Cai and Lang Son and had not found sudan.