Tainted birds' nests seized in ports in Xiamen & Guangdong

 Updated: 25 Dec 2011

 

CANCER causing chemicals have been detected in consignments of edible birds' nests from Malaysia, China's top quality watchdog said yesterday.

 

This is the latest in a string of food safety scandals involving the expensive delicacy made from the saliva of cave swifts.

 

Nine batches, weighing 73 kilograms, imported in September and October contained toxic nitrite and golden staph bacteria - both of which can cause blood poisoning and cancer, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine announced.

 

Intercepted

 

All the tainted birds' nests were intercepted and returned before they could enter the domestic market, the administration said.

 

The birds' nests, produced by six Malaysian companies, were discovered in ports in southern China's Guangdong Province and Xiamen City, Fujian Province, according to the report.

 

Earlier this year, birds' nests - used in Chinese cooking for hundreds of years - were at the center of a scandal involving the rare red form.

 

This variety - known as red cubilose - comes from nests built on rock cliffs rich in iron. This permeates into nests, giving them a distinctive red color and making them much sought after.

 

But Malaysian authorities confirmed cubilose labeled as such has been dyed red by unscrupulous sellers.

 

Many contain excessive levels of nitrite.

 

In September, edible birds' nests on sale in Hong Kong were found to contain levels of nitrite 31 times the limit in meat. These consignments also came from Malaysia.

 

SOURCE: Shanghai Daily