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The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (November 26) announced that the level of pesticide residues found in a Chinese wolfberry leaf sample and a Chinese white cabbage sample exceeded legal limits. While the CFS is following up on the cases, members of the public are reminded to prepare vegetables suitably before consumption, including rinsing and soaking them, to reduce any pesticide residue on the surface.
A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the Chinese wolfberry leaf sample at retail level and the Chinese white cabbage sample at import level under its regular Food Surveillance Programme. Test results showed that the Chinese wolfberry leaf sample contained acetamiprid at a level of 3.979 parts per million (ppm), i.e. about one-third higher than the maximum residue limit (3 ppm). As for the Chinese white cabbage sample tested, it contained carbofuran at a level of 0.041 ppm, about two times the maximum residue limit (0.02 ppm). According to the preliminary information, the affected Chinese white cabbage was from the Mainland while tracing of the affected Chinese wolfberry leaves is in progress. The CFS is liaising with the Mainland authorities concerned to follow up on the incident."
He added, "Based on the levels of pesticide residues detected in the vegetable samples, adverse health effects will not be caused by normal consumption."
To minimise health risks posed by consuming vegetables contaminated by pesticide residues, the spokesman reminded the public to rinse vegetables several times under running water before soaking them in water for one hour, or blanch the vegetables in boiling water for one minute and discard the water, or do both to further minimise risks.
Since the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap. 132CM) came into effect on August 1, the CFS has taken over 8 400 food samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues and a total of 27 vegetable samples (including the unsatisfactory samples announced today) have been detected as having excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.4 per cent. Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the Regulation concerning pesticide residues commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months.
The CFS will follow up on the unsatisfactory result, including tracing the source of the food in question and taking different samples of vegetables for testing so as to safeguard public health.
Ends/Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:11
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