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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) today (May 25) announced the results of a survey of popular food items to assess the safety of Southeast Asian food. One mullet and one fish cake sample, out of 300 samples taken, were found to contain veterinary drug residues malachite green.
A total of 300 Southeast Asian food samples were collected recently from more than 100 retail outlets, including restaurants, fast food shops, food factories and market stalls, for microbiological and chemical tests. All of them passed the microbiological tests.
For chemical tests, a sample of Thai steamed mullet on stove tray and a sample of deep fried fish cake with spicy sauce were found to contain malachite green, at levels of 0.87ppm and 0.012ppm respectively.
The samples of Southeast Asian food included:
* snacks, including Thai shrimp and pomelo salad, deep fried fish cake with spicy sauce, Vietnamese shrimp mousse on sugar cane, Thai sweet and spicy jellyfish;
* soups, such as Thai tom yum goong soup, bak kut teh soup, Singaporean sour and spicy soup;
* main dishes, like Thai steamed mullet on stove tray, fried conch with chili paste, Vietnamese king prawn in sour soup and Vietnamese pork chop with lemon grass;
* rice, pasta and noodles, including fried pad thai noodles, Thai baked pineapple rice with seafood, Malaysian fried rice noodles and Vietnamese pho noodle soup with rare beef;
* desserts, such as glutinous rice with coconut milk and mango, sago pudding with coconut milk and Indonesian pudding;
* sauces and spices, like satay sauce, basil, lemon grass, fish sauce and belachan paste; and
* drinks, including tri-colour icy drink with coconut milk, cendol icy drink, rambutan icy drink and coconut water.
Microbiological tests covered pathogens such as Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Salmonella and Staphylococcus aureus. Chemical analyses included colouring matters, metallic contamination, preservatives, pesticides and veterinary drug residues.
"The levels of malachite green detected in the unsatisfactory samples were unlikely to pose adverse health effects upon normal consumption," a spokesman for the CFS said.
"We have taken follow-up action, including asking the concerned vendors to stop selling and to dispose of the affected food, tracing the source and issuing warning letters to the operators concerned. Prosecution will be taken if there is sufficient evidence."
According to the law, no food sold in Hong Kong is allowed to contain malachite green. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment. The spokesman reminded traders to source aquatic products from reliable suppliers and to comply with the law.
"People are reminded to buy food from licensed and reliable food premises. They should also maintain a balanced diet to minimise risks," the spokesman said.
Ends/Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Issued at HKT 16:01
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