Low-cost cling film in cancer risk scare
By Xu Chi |
July 19, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CLING film that may contain cancer-causing substances is widely used to wrap watermelon sold in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.
Fruit sellers are buying cheap but potentially poisonous plastic film from unqualified manufacturers.
Such film is commonly made of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, a material that will release carcinogenic substances in high temperatures or in a greasy environment, the Xi'an Evening News reported yesterday.
Responding to public concern about the Xi'an report, Shanghai industry and commerce authorities said yesterday that the cling film used to wrap food and vegetables in local supermarkets is safe.
Major supermarkets Carrefour and Lotus said the cling film they are using has "Quality Safety" certificates indicating that it has been checked by government facilities before being put into use.
An official surnamed Ma with Carrefour Shanghai said that the cling film they are using to wrap food and vegetables comes from a major manufacturer and is made of polyethylene, or PE, a safe and stable material.
However, a Shanghai Daily investigation has found that unqualified cling film which doesn't have a brand name, QS marks or manufacturers' details is widely used in some local small vegetable and fruit markets.
At a fruit shop on Qilianshan Road S., a fruit seller was cutting watermelons into slices and covering each piece with plastic film to keep them clean and fresh.
The seller, who refused to be named, said the film was purchased from a wholesale market at a much lower price than film sold in supermarkets.
He could not provide a QS certificate for the film or say what material it was made of, he insisted it was safe. "I've been using it for years," he told Shanghai Daily.
Unbranded cling film can be found on sale online, with prices ranging from 1 yuan to 5 yuan per 50 meters, compared to the market price for qualified material of 10 yuan to 20 yuan per 20 meters.
A Guangdong Province-based online seller, who was selling cling film made in his own factory, said some extremely cheap film might be made of PVC or from other cheaper materials that didn't comply with the country's laws and regulations.
Fruit sellers are buying cheap but potentially poisonous plastic film from unqualified manufacturers.
Such film is commonly made of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, a material that will release carcinogenic substances in high temperatures or in a greasy environment, the Xi'an Evening News reported yesterday.
Responding to public concern about the Xi'an report, Shanghai industry and commerce authorities said yesterday that the cling film used to wrap food and vegetables in local supermarkets is safe.
Major supermarkets Carrefour and Lotus said the cling film they are using has "Quality Safety" certificates indicating that it has been checked by government facilities before being put into use.
An official surnamed Ma with Carrefour Shanghai said that the cling film they are using to wrap food and vegetables comes from a major manufacturer and is made of polyethylene, or PE, a safe and stable material.
However, a Shanghai Daily investigation has found that unqualified cling film which doesn't have a brand name, QS marks or manufacturers' details is widely used in some local small vegetable and fruit markets.
At a fruit shop on Qilianshan Road S., a fruit seller was cutting watermelons into slices and covering each piece with plastic film to keep them clean and fresh.
The seller, who refused to be named, said the film was purchased from a wholesale market at a much lower price than film sold in supermarkets.
He could not provide a QS certificate for the film or say what material it was made of, he insisted it was safe. "I've been using it for years," he told Shanghai Daily.
Unbranded cling film can be found on sale online, with prices ranging from 1 yuan to 5 yuan per 50 meters, compared to the market price for qualified material of 10 yuan to 20 yuan per 20 meters.
A Guangdong Province-based online seller, who was selling cling film made in his own factory, said some extremely cheap film might be made of PVC or from other cheaper materials that didn't comply with the country's laws and regulations.
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