July 15, 2005

Possible contamination in China's Hubei and Henan seafood

Seafood from Hubei and Henan provinces of China will no longer be sold at several Shanghainese seafood wholesale markets, due to fears that these products could be tainted by malachite green.

The dye has been banned in China since 1992 but due to its low price, is still often secretly used by fish farmers to treat parasites, fungal infections, and bacterial infections in fish and fish eggs.

Last week, China's Ministry of Agriculture officials shifted through the country for seafood contaminated with the dye, which is mainly used in Hubei and Henan provinces. Most of the suspected contaminated products however, are believed to be sold mainly in Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai.

On Jul 14, Shanghai's local food and drug administration officials checked on seafood in wholesale markets, supermarkets, and restaurants to make sure that no tainted goods are sold. Targeted seafood products include soft-shelled turtles, salmon and crustaceans.

Officials said that results of the checks would be released in two weeks.