HK says vegetables safe
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-04-25 09:15 HONG Kong has strictly
checked the levels of pesticide residue in vegetables according to international
standards, food safety authorities said yesterday, in response to concerns
raised by environmental groups.
The government has run an efficient checking system on pesticide residues,
but it is difficult to trace the source of vegetables by the time they reach
market, said Leung Wing-lup, director of the Food and Environmental Hygiene
Department.
Leung's remarks came in response to a report by environmental groups that
said vegetables sold in Hong Kong's supermarkets contain harmful levels of
pesticide residues.
He said the government has required major supermarkets to set up a better
system for tracking the source of veggies.
The Food and Environmental Department conducted spot checks on 20,000
vegetable samples last year, one-fourth of which were taken from supermarket
shelves.
Hong Kong imports 1,700 tones of vegetables a day.
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