The producers of
spirulina products are facing a credibility crisis after a report claimed
excessive lead was found in the popular dietary supplement sold in China.
Samples of eight popular brands of spirulina products were purchased
from drug stores, supermarkets and shopping centers in Beijing, Tianjin, and
Hebei province.
Six of the eight Chinese and foreign brands tested contained excessive
levels of lead, the report said. The tests were conducted at different
organisations and qualified by China's Certification and Accreditation
Administration.
The six brands included U-Ways, Green-A and Cont-healthy, Xinhua
reported on March 28.
Cont-healthy, a US brand, exceeded the acceptable limit by 820 per
cent, it said.
Normally, China does not allow a kilogram of a food product to contain
more than 0.5 milligram of lead. Excessive lead can harm the digestive, nervous
and reproductive systems and cause stomachaches, anemia and convulsions.
Representatives of Cont-healthy were not available for comment.
Green-A said on March 28 on its website that all of its products passed
the required tests.
Shares of Shenzhen-listed Guangdong By-health Biotechnology Co were
suspended from trading yesterday after Xinhua reported that the lead amount in
its samples of spirulina tablets is 100 per cent more than the country's
standard.
Trading will resume after the relevant facts are verified, a notice
said. The company's products passed a test in March by an organisation
appointed by the State Food and Drug Administration, the company said in an
announcement posted on its website on March 28.
Spirulina products are popular nutritional supplements in China, and
they are believed to be rich in protein, vitamins and minerals.
The Xinhua report claimed that substandard spirulina powder was the
cause of excessive lead, adding that some agents helped manufacturers obtain
official permits to sell unqualified products as qualified ones.
Those agents fabricated samples and bribed drug inspectors, the report
said.
"It is quite common that some manufacturers use substandard
spirulina powder just to slash the costs for bigger profits," an industry
insider in Yunnan, a major producer of spirulina, said on condition of
anonymity.
The State Food and Drug Administration has ordered a recall of all
tainted spirulina products, Tong Min, an official from the administration, was
quoted by Xinhua as saying.
As of yesterday afternoon, all spirulina products from the six brands
had been removed from Taobao, a popular online shopping website, Suo Chao, a
staff member of public relations at Taobao, said.
The case is the latest food safety scandal in the world's most populous
country.
"It's astonishing," said Song Qingxia, a Beijing resident.
"I will earnestly think of sending my 65-year-old father to hospital for a
checkup. He has been eating Green-A for two years."
Jin Zhu and Guo Anfei
China Daily
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