Excessive pesticide residue found in small Chinese white cabbage sample

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (April 13) announced that a small Chinese white cabbage sample was found to contain pesticide residue at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.

A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the small Chinese white cabbage sample at import level for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained chlorpyrifos at a level of 1.4 parts per million (ppm), i.e. 14 times the maximum residue limit (0.1 ppm).

"Based on the level of pesticide residue detected in the sample, adverse health effects will not be caused under usual consumption," he added.

Generally speaking, to reduce pesticide residues in vegetables, members of the public can rinse vegetables thoroughly under clean running water, and scrub produce with hard surfaces with a clean produce brush to remove dirt and substances including pesticides and contaminants from the surface and the fissures, when appropriate.

Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) concerning pesticide residues commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

Since the regulation came into effect on August 1, 2014, the CFS has taken over 102 000 food samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing of pesticide residues, and a total of 186 vegetable and fruit samples (including the unsatisfactory sample announced today) have been detected as having excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.2 per cent.

The CFS will follow up on the unsatisfactory result so as to safeguard public health.

Ends/Thursday, April 13, 2017