French mineral water fails China quality tests
By Lu Nengneng |
November 16, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Two brands of mineral water from France were among more than 420 imported food or cosmetic items found substandard during entry tests, China's top quality watchdog said yesterday.
Excessive nitrite, which may increase cancer risks, was detected in Evian and Volvic water, according to a report by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Other problems involved more than 27 tons of salmonella-tainted pork from Denmark for China's largest meat processor Shuanghui Group, posing a huge risk of food poisoning, it said.
None of the affected products made it to the Chinese market as they were either shipped back to exporters or destroyed, or converted for other uses, the authority said.
Evian and Volvic have established a presence in Shanghai through high-end restaurants, hotels and supermarkets since the Danone Group introduced the brands to China.
"The recent scandal hasn't pulled their products off our shelves as we are waiting for the further notice from headquarters," said a spokesman for Tesco in Shanghai.
This isn't the first time Evian has fallen foul of China's food safety rules. In January, more than 80 tons of its mineral water failed entry inspection, also for excessive nitrite, and was destroyed by the local authority.
In 2007, the regulator seized 118 tons of Evian water with excessive amounts of bacteria.
In its defense, Danone cited the difference between the local standard and the one set by the World Health Organization, and said that microbial flora was commonly to be found in natural spring water.
The banned additive clenbuterol, commonly known as "lean meat powder" in China, was found in imported pork products from the United States, Canada and Denmark in July, the administration said.
Clenbuterol helps build muscle and has been used as an illegal performance-enhancing drug in athletics.
China has banned it as a livestock feed additive as it can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches and heart palpitations in humans.
The unqualified products included frozen pig heads, feet and hearts.
Among them, a batch of frozen ham from the US was found both to have mildew and to contain clenbuterol.
In August, the administration reported, a batch of frozen pig heads from Denmark was found to contain salmonella, and Coca-Cola China's imports of orange pulp and juice from Turkey were destroyed due to poor packaging and because of a breach of import regulations.
Excessive nitrite, which may increase cancer risks, was detected in Evian and Volvic water, according to a report by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.
Other problems involved more than 27 tons of salmonella-tainted pork from Denmark for China's largest meat processor Shuanghui Group, posing a huge risk of food poisoning, it said.
None of the affected products made it to the Chinese market as they were either shipped back to exporters or destroyed, or converted for other uses, the authority said.
Evian and Volvic have established a presence in Shanghai through high-end restaurants, hotels and supermarkets since the Danone Group introduced the brands to China.
"The recent scandal hasn't pulled their products off our shelves as we are waiting for the further notice from headquarters," said a spokesman for Tesco in Shanghai.
This isn't the first time Evian has fallen foul of China's food safety rules. In January, more than 80 tons of its mineral water failed entry inspection, also for excessive nitrite, and was destroyed by the local authority.
In 2007, the regulator seized 118 tons of Evian water with excessive amounts of bacteria.
In its defense, Danone cited the difference between the local standard and the one set by the World Health Organization, and said that microbial flora was commonly to be found in natural spring water.
The banned additive clenbuterol, commonly known as "lean meat powder" in China, was found in imported pork products from the United States, Canada and Denmark in July, the administration said.
Clenbuterol helps build muscle and has been used as an illegal performance-enhancing drug in athletics.
China has banned it as a livestock feed additive as it can cause nausea, dizziness, headaches and heart palpitations in humans.
The unqualified products included frozen pig heads, feet and hearts.
Among them, a batch of frozen ham from the US was found both to have mildew and to contain clenbuterol.
In August, the administration reported, a batch of frozen pig heads from Denmark was found to contain salmonella, and Coca-Cola China's imports of orange pulp and juice from Turkey were destroyed due to poor packaging and because of a breach of import regulations.
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