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SATURDAY, JUNE 13, 1978

GOVERNMENT LABORATORY TOPS WORLD-WIDE ACCURACY ASSESSMENT ******

THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LABORATORY HAS RECENTLY BEEN PLACED FIRST WITH +EXCEPTIONAL HIGH RATING+ IS A WORLD-WIDE LABORATORY ACCURACY ASSESSMENT RELATING TO THE DETERMINATION OF AFLATOXINS A GROUP OF TOXIC FUNCT IN PEANUT PRODUCTS.

A TOTAL OF 55 LABORATORIES FROM VARIOUS PARTS OF THE WORLD PARTICIPATED IN THIS CHECK ON PERFORMANCE WHICH WAS SPONSORED BY THE AMERICAN CIL CHEMISTS' SOCIETY WITH THE AIM OF CHECKING INDIVIDUAL LABORATORY EFFORTS AND STANDARDS.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY SAID : +AFLATOXINS ARE A GROUP OF HIGHLY TOXIC AND CARCINOGENIC METABOLITES OF CERTAIN FUNGI ASSOCIATED WITH THE SPOILAGE OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. THEY ARE OF SIGNIFICANCE IN THE HONG KONG CONTEXT BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN FOUND IN CERTAIN TYPES OF FOOD CONSUMED HERE, SUCH AS IN PEANUT OILS AND OTHER PEANUT PRODUCTS.+

HE ADDED LARGE SCALE CLOSE MONITORING OF AFLATOXIN LEVELS WAS INITIATED IN 1975 JOINTLY BY THE GOVERNMENT LABORATORY, THE URBAN COUNCIL AND THE UREAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A DRASTIC IMPROVEMENT IN THE QUALITY OF FOOD WHICH IS LIKELY TO CONTAIN THIS TYPE OF TOXINS.

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