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May 24, 2013

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Excessive cadmium in oysters

COOKED oysters sold at a famous restaurant in Guangdong Province contained cadmium levels 20 times the national standard, Yangcheng Evening News reported yesterday.

Reporters from the newspaper sent 24 oysters from Haodexi, one of the most popular and famous BBQ oyster restaurants in Guangzhou, to the Guangzhou Center for Quality Supervision and Testing of Processed Food. They found the oysters contained 2 milligrams of the heavy metal per kilogram, compared with the national standard of 0.1 milligram per kilogram.

The maximum amount of cadmium allowed in seafood is less than 1 milligram per kilogram, according to the standard issued by the Ministry of Agriculture of China.

A chef at the restaurant told the newspaper he cooks more than 6,000 oysters on weekdays and up to 8,000 on Saturday and Sunday.

Doctors said shellfish have a poor excretory system compared with fish, meaning heavy metal is easily left in oysters.

Excessive intake of cadmium can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disorders, doctors warned.

Liu Yimin, deputy director of the Guangzhou No.12 Hospital, was cited as saying long-term intake of cadmium could lead to poisoning and osteoporosis.

Experts added that oysters are often not properly cooked at BBQ restaurants, meaning live bacteria can enter a person's digestive system and cause acute gastroenteritis.

A seafood wholesaler at Guangzhou's Huangsha market told the newspaper the city consumes at least 5,000 kilograms of oysters every day.


 

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