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Lubricant
found in Chinese Melon Seeds
Mineral oil, a common industrial lubricant, has been found in samples of
Chinese melon seeds available in the market, the Consumer Council said
yesterday.
It also found almost one-third of Chinese
pickled vegetable samples contained preservatives exceeding the allowable
amount.
The council tested 20 dried melon seed
samples, a popular food during Lunar New Year celebrations, and found eight
samples contained mineral oils. Local regulations bar any mineral oil
content in dried melon seeds, but allow it to be used as a lubricant on the
surface of preserved food so long as it does not exceed 0.2 per cent of the
total weight.
Council publicity and public relations
committee chairman Larry Kwok said the mineral oil content in the melon
seeds samples ranged from 0.05 to 0.3 per cent by weight, including two
which exceeded the lubricant regulation.
``Some melon seeds suppliers have been
known to use mineral oils for cosmetic effect to make their products looking
fresh and attractive,'' Kwok said.
He warned that excessive ingestion of
mineral oil would lead to acute conditions, including gastric upset, nausea
and diarrhoea, while chronic intake would cause liver damage and other organ
infections.
Kwok said consumers who were in the habit
of swallowing the whole seed with the shell were at greater risk.
But Kwok said the public should not be
overly worried as the risk of excessive intake was not high if the seeds
were consumed normally without the shell.
He urged consumers not to eat the whole
seeds.
The council also found that 16 of 53
Chinese pickled vegetable samples collected contained excessive amounts of
the preservative benzoic acid.
Kwok said the samples included preserved
turnip, radish, mustard and onion and exceeded the legal limit of 250 parts
per million listed under the Preservatives in Food Regulations.
``Excessive intake of benzoic acid will
cause allergic effects and exacerbate the condition of people who are
asthmatic or suffer from rhinitis or urticaria,'' Kwok said.
- - Michael Ng
Hong
Kong Standard
16
January 2003
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