Hong Kong's health chief Wednesday apologized for the previous
misleading information about Sudan red eggs and vowed to strengthen
food import scheme of Hong Kong to guard food safety of the
city.
The Center for Food Safety Monday assured the public that Sudan
dye eggs was not imported, which is contradictory to the report
Wednesday by Food and Environmental Hygiene Department that Sudan
dye eggs was discovered in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Acting Food Safety Center Controller Ho Yuk-yin said
Wednesday Sudan dyes have been detected in samples of a hen and
duck egg in Hong Kong.
Ho said the center has examined the second batch of eggs
collected at wholesale and retail outlets. The duck egg had a low
level of Sudan dye and came from the YueHwa Chinese Products
Emporium. The department store has surrendered its remaining duck
eggs for disposal.
The tainted hen egg was imported from Hunan. The Government
Laboratory will conduct further tests to determine the dye
level.
The center said the General Administration of Quality
Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has been informed of the
case and the authority has agreed to suspend the export of Hunan
hen eggs to Hong Kong.
Ho said since the Sudan level found in the tainted samples is
low, the center considers the carcinogenic risk to the public is
low, adding there is no cause for undue concern.
He reiterated that the center will trace the source of the
tainted eggs and stop them from entering the market. Test results
on the third batch of egg samples will be released as soon as
possible.
York Chow, Hong Kong's Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food,
apologized for the poor communication and said the Center for Food
Safety should inform the public as soon as there are any suspected
food safety hazards in the community.
He added that all the egg imports from Hunan Province were
stopped until the health of the egg sources are confirmed. Besides,
the department will try to establish a legal framework to register
egg importers and make sure they have health certification for
their products before importing them to Hong Kong.
Chow admitted that Hong Kong faces tremendous challenge in term
of food safety mainly because most of the food is being imported
from many different countries and places.
On the Chinese mainland turbot fish, Ho said two out of the five
samples collected for chemical tests contain malachite green. The
contaminated fish were collected from a market in the New
Territories.
Fish importers have been asked not to import Mainland turbot
fish to Hong Kong and the center will step up its inspection to
ensure no turbot fish from the Chinese mainland are sold in the
market.
(Xinhua News Agency November 23, 2006)