Egg Sales in Decline

CHINA - Egg sales even in Beijing are exeriencing marked falls following the discovery of the carcinogenic compound, melamine, in eggs in the city of Dalian.
calendar icon 30 October 2008
clock icon 3 minute read

Sales of eggs at the Xinfadi Wholesale Market in Beijing fell 10 percent on 28 October in the wake of the latest melamine contamination scare, offical sources say.

The slump has been blamed on recent reports of eggs contaminated with melamine being exported to Hong Kong from a farm in Dalian, Liaoning province.

Xiao Ying, a doctor from Beijing's Chaoyang district, said he is becoming increasingly worried about where to get his protein, following food safety scares involving two of his staples, milk and eggs. The Dalian government yesterday issued a statement saying the melamine found in the eggs exported to Hong Kong might have come from contaminated poultry feed.

Officials from the city's quality supervision, inspection and quarantine bureau have conducted a series of tests on the eggs produced on 6 September by Hanovo Foods, the statement said.

Initial findings suggest the contamination came from the poultry feed, it said.

A total of 72 batches of eggs from Hanovo have been tested, but only those produced on 6 September were found to be tainted, it said.

The company said earlier that it had recalled seven containers of eggs from Hong Kong and that two others bound for the region had been sealed and prevented from being shipped.

A resident of Dalian said, "I just don't buy eggs these days. I doubt the ones produced by other companies are safe.

"I'm a bit disappointed with the country's food industry."

At a Carrefour store in the city, a sales assistant said that although the management had not issued a statement to take Hanovo eggs off the shelves, the products had not been selling well.

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