TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1988
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NEW SYSTEM TO DETECT TAINTED VEGETABLES
A NEW SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PREVENT THE SALE OF TAINTED VEGETABLES WILL DE IMPLEMENTED ON FRIDAY (DECEMBER 16) AT THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION (VMO) CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE VEGETABLE MARKET.
AS FROM THAT DAY, VEGETABLES MARKETED THROUGH THE CHEUNG SHA WAN WHOLESALE VEGETABLE MARKET WILL BE RANDOMLY SAMPLED AND CHECKED FOR PESTICIDE RESIDUES.
CONSIGNMENTS OF VEGETABLES THAT APPEAR TO BE UNFIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION WILL BE DETAINED AND FOLLOW-UP ANALYSIS AND ACTION WILL BE ARRANGED BY THE MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH.
ANNOUNCING THIS TODAY (TUESDAY), A VMO SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE NEW SYSTEM, WHICH AIMED AT SAFEGUARDING THE HEALTH OF CONSUMERS AT LARGE, WAS THE RESULT OF CLOSE CO-OPERATION AMONG THE VEGETABLE MARKETING ORGANISATION, AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT, MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH AND THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY.
HE SAID THE SYSTEM WOULD INVOLVE THE PHYSICAL CHECKING OF VEGETABLES IN THE VMO'S LABORATORY, USING A NEW METHOD RECENTLY DEVELOPED BY THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT.
"WITH THIS METHOD IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO DETECT THE PRESENCE OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES ON VEGETABLE SAMPLES AND THE LEVEL OF PESTICIDE CONTAMINATION IS REFLECTED BY THE EXTENT OF INHIBITION OF AN ENZYMIC ACTIVITY IN CHICKEN SERUM.
"THE PROCESS IS SIMPLE AND QUICK AND WILL ONLY TAKE BETWEEN AND 45 MINUTES FOR THE RESULTS TO BE DETERMINED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
SAMPLES FOUND WITH AN EXCESS OF BY MUNICIPAL SERVICES BRANCH AND TOP THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY ΤΟ SAMPLES ADDED.
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PESTICIDE WOULD BE FOLLOWED UP PRIORITY WOULD BE GIVEN BY OF DETAINED VEGETABLES, HE
THE VMO WHOLESALE VEGETABLE MARKET AT CHEUNG SHA WAN HANDLES SOME 500 TONNES OF VEGETABLES A DAY WHICH IS ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL DAILY VEGETABLE CONSUMPTION IN THE TERRITORY.
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