China blocks Aussie seafood over heavy metals

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/China-blocks-tainted-Aussie-seafood/2007/05/30/1180205342799.html

China has turned away 30 tonnes of frozen seafood from Australia that was tainted with heavy metals, state television reported, as the quality and safety of China's own products have come under scrutiny around the world.

The prawns and squid arrived in Zhanjiang port, southern Guangdong province, where customs officials found lead and cadmium exceeded safety levels, the report said.

---

Quarantine finds antibiotics in seafood

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Quarantine-finds-antibiotics-in-seafood/2007/08/03/1185648098613.html

Australia's quarantine watchdog has asked for expert medical advice about any health risk associated with antibiotics found in almost a third of imported Asian seafoods.

The move follows the discovery of low levels of antibiotics in a third of samples of prawns, fish, crabs and eels from China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Australian Quarantine Inspection service spokesman Carson Creagh said of the 100 samples, 31 tested positive for anti-microbials, including sulfonamide, tetracycline and penicillin.

New generation antibiotics fluoroquinolone and quinolone also were found.

Antibiotics can be used in seafood production but all traces should be gone by the time they are harvested for market.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/china-bans-indon-seafood-citing-toxins/2007/08/04/1185648207356.html

China has banned all Indonesian seafood imports after checks turned up toxins, China's food authority says.

The Chinese General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (CGAQSIQ) said all Indonesia seafood shipments received after Friday would be returned or destroyed.

The announcement has come as Chinese products from toothpaste to toys, tires and fish have been placed under increased scrutiny and in some cases banned after being found tainted or otherwise unsafe.

Indonesia's Department of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries spokesman Martani Huseini said the move appeared to be in reaction to an Indonesian import ban imposed last month on Chinese food supplements, cosmetics and medicines over safety concerns.

Indonesian authorities claimed some Chinese cosmetics contained mercury, some medicines contained unauthorised chemicals, and food supplements had dangerous additives.

---

Food safety needs 'global cooperation'

http://www.smh.com.au/news/breaking-news/food-safety-needs-global-cooperation/2007/08/05/1186252532715.html

Global cooperation is the only way to improve food safety, Chinese official media said after yet another week of worldwide anxiety about the quality of goods from China.

---

Australia is often accused of abusing quarantine issues to protect local industry and undermine free trade:

Truss defends prawn import restrictions

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Truss-defends-prawn-import-restrictions/2007/08/07/1186252701663.html

Trade Minister Warren Truss has defended strict new restrictions on prawn imports, denying they're aimed at protecting the $600 million industry from cheap overseas competitors.

A number of Asian neighbours are reportedly planning to raise their concerns about the new regulations with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) at a meeting in Geneva in October.

"They haven't at this stage launched any sort of formal complaint but certainly the countries ... have raised the issue with me and other Australian representatives from time to time," Mr Truss told AAP.

The members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) believe the new measures, set out by Biosecurity Australia last month, are aimed at setting up trade restrictions for the prawn industry.

While the process is still being finalised, it is expected that from September prawn imports will need to come from sources that Australia recognises as being disease- and contamination-free, or else be subjected to tougher testing.

---

NZ warns of toxic Chinese toothpaste

http://www.smh.com.au/news/World/NZ-warns-of-toxic-Chinese-toothpaste/2007/08/29/1188067153031.html

New Zealand has asked retailers and consumers to dispose of 11 brands of Chinese-made toothpaste after tests confirmed they contained toxic chemicals.

The Ministry of Health said in a statement that a third of the Chinese-made toothpaste tested contained "unacceptable levels" of diethylene glycol.

Diethylene glycol is an industrial solvent used in paint and antifreeze and can cause kidney and liver damage.

Some of the brands could still be on sale although retailers had been warned in June to remove them from shop shelves while tests were conducted, the Health Ministry said.

Tests of toothpaste claiming health benefits are mandatory, but some of the dangerous brands had been either illegally imported or fell outside of the testing rules, a spokesman from the ministry said.

Chinese officials have said the world should have faith in the "made-in-China" label and have described the spate of product recalls as unfair, biased and politically motivated.

In July, China banned the use of diethylene glycol in toothpaste following a recall of Chinese-made products across the globe, including the United States, Spain, Singapore, Panama and several other Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Panama says at least 100 people died after taking cough syrup containing diethylene glycol rather than the glycerine, which was supposed to have been used.

The chemical is similar to but much cheaper than glycerine, which is widely used as a syrup in medicines and toothpaste.

Last week, New Zealand launched an investigation into the safety of imported clothing after a local television program found woollen and cotton fabrics from China contained levels of formaldehyde up to 900 times the safety limit set by the World Health Organisation.

Formaldehyde, used by some clothing manufacturers to prevent mildew, can cause skin irritations, respiratory problems and even cancer at high levels.

Eating certain kinds of fish has become a major health concern due to the amount of heavy metals and other contaminants found in water. Seafood is a healthy source of iodine, essential fats and easily digested protein and is often considered a healthy addition to any diet.  There are ways to safely eat fish, it’s just a matter of how often and what kinds you choose.