Illegal colorant found in Vietnamese eggs
After the detection of an illegal colorant in eggs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, egg sales dropped with 50-70%. However, the test is not considered representative and experts are now double checking the findings.
eggs in Hanoi city were free from the toxic colorant sudan . Now, the HCMC Department of Sciences and
Technology found the illegal colorant in six out of 16 chicken and duck
eggs. Some eggs even had 20,000 microgam/kg. The level that is considered safe
in Europe is less than 500 microgam/kg.
However,
according to Professor Chu Pham Ngoc Son from the department, the tests were not
comprehensive and not representative. He said that the small amount of eggs
tested only served to ring a bell so that relevant authorities would get
involved.
Illegally imported
Last November,
authorities in China
discovered the substance in several of its
provinces. The department also suspects that the contaminated eggs in
Vietnam are illegally imported from China. Son said the substance could
have been added to make the yolk look more colourful to attract buyers.
Drop in egg sales
Pham Thi Huan, owner of a large, city-based egg supplier, said her sales
dropped 50% on the first day the finding was announced. She said all big egg
outlets bought eggs from large and trustworthy farms where animal feed is
carefully selected. They also have to supply certificates concerning the feed
origin and samples for testing. A businessman in Dong Nai province near Ho Chi
Minh City said he had recently been offered cheap Chinese additives which hawkers
said were able to make the yolk redder and chicken legs more
yellow.
Another 30 samples
As of Tuesday, the city’s
Animal Health Department had not made any official comments on the finding. Its
representatives said another 30 egg samples had been sent to a local test
center, which would announce the results this week.
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