4 foods fail safety test

July 31, 2013

Four food samples - including a vegetable, an aquatic product, milk and fermented red bean curd - failed Centre for Food Safety tests last month.
 
Of the 10,000 food samples tested, the overall satisfactory rate was 99.96%. About 3,200 samples underwent chemical tests, 2,200 underwent microbiological, tests and the remaining 4,400 were tested for radiation.
 
One sample of Baby Shanghai Green was found to contain cadmium, at a level of 0.13 parts per million. A sample of frozen black cod steak was found to contain mercury, at a level of 0.82 parts per million.
 
The centre said these levels would unlikely pose any adverse health effects upon normal consumption of these products.
 
A sample of fresh milk, taken in response to an unsatisfactory Australian skimmed milk sample announced earlier, found that the total bacteria count exceeded the legal limit.
 
A sample of fermented red bean curd was found to contain Sudan II, a colouring matter not permitted in food. The retailer concerned has stopped sales of the product, and the importer has initiated a recall from retailers and suspended further imports.
 
The centre has traced the sources of the food items and asked vendors to stop selling them. The centre has taken follow-up food samples and issued warning letters.