NE China city officials investigate melamine-tainted eggs

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-12-04 20:28

CHANGCHUN -- City government authorities in northeast China's Jilin Province are now investigating a local company, which has been accused by Hong Kong, for allegedly selling eggs containing large amounts of melamine.

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety announced late Tuesday it had found excessive amounts of the industrial chemical in eggs supplied by Jiayuan Farm Produce and By-Products Trading Co. Ltd., which is based in Dehui.

A spokesman from Dehui City government said he learned of the possible contamination from media reports early Wednesday. That's when an emergency investigative group, to be led by vice mayor Zhao Wenbo, was established.

Dehui City Administration for Industry and Commerce confirmed it is holding 60 boxes of eggs in Jiayuan's warehouse Wednesday afternoon for testing.

Egg and feed samples were sent to Jilin's Provincial Bureau of Quality Supervision,Inspection and Quarantine for lab work that same day. Results have not been released.

Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety said it found 4.7 parts per million (ppm) of melamine in eggs from the northeast Chinese company. Hong Kong's legal limit is 2.5 ppm.

In a separate incident in late October, excessive amounts of melamine were found in egg samples from China's Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group and by another processing plant in Gong'an County. Those contaminated eggs also ended up in Hong Kong.