|
SHANGHAI: China said Friday it had banned sales of a
soft drink made by Coca-Cola and two flavors of
Procter&Gamble’s Pringles potato crisps due to fears they
contained harmful substances.
China’s quality control
watchdog reported on its website that 593 food items imported in
January and February were unfit for consumption after traces of
harmful substances were found.
Two batches of Pringles potato
chips, “spicy salad sauce” and “cripy baked” flavors,
imported from the United States by Zhuhai-based Kangrui Trade Co.
were found to contain potassium bromate, a chemical which may cause
cancer.
Coca-Cola’s berry-flavored
Fanta soft-drink imported by Shanghai Xiaolong Information Trade Co.
from South Korea was also banned for containing too much benzoic
acid, which can attack the liver and the kidneys.
Vietnam coffee beans from Nestlé’s
Dongguan Branch Co. were found to be infected with beetles, the
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and
Quarantine of China said.
Some companies were also accused
of using unqualified trademarks, it said.
Firms would be fined a minimum of
50,000 yuan ($7,140), and be banned from selling the named items.
Beijing has stepped up its
monitoring of product safety, after a string of scandals last year
over Chinese-made goods ranging from food to toys.
But despite the tightened
supervision, the scares have continued.
This year at least 10 Japanese
were hospitalized after eating Chinese-made dumplings laced with
pesticide, although China denies the contamination took place at one
of its factories.
--AFP
|
