Japan Recalls China Pesticide-Tainted Eels
TOKYO—On January 15, 2006, Chiba county government officials ordered the recall of live farm eels imported from China＇s Fujian province. The 3400 pounds of eels were tested and found to have a dicofol content three times higher than acceptable government levels. (Dicofol is an organochlorine miticide that is related to DDT, a pesticide believed to cause cancer. The use of DDT has been banned since 1972 in most developed countries worldwide.)
An official spokesperson from the Chiba County Public Health Department said that an estimated 6000 live eels were recalled. The Marukatsu Company in the city of Narita had imported the eels from China on January 3, wholesaling them later in Tokyo, as well as Saitama and Chiba counties.
According to results obtained on January 14, the Narita Airport quarantine station reported that tested eels contained an average of 0.03 milligram of dicofol. The standard acceptable level is 0.01 milligram. Each eel weighed between 200 to 300 grams. Japan’s ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare subsequently ordered officials to conduct further investigations, including where the eels had been sold for retail.
Dicofol, also know as kelthane, has been used as a pesticide for flowers and vegetables. Symptoms of toxicity include headaches and dizziness. In serious cases, liver damage can occur. In Japan, dicofol is no longer produced, although it has not been banned.
Read original Chinese article.
article |
|
