Six popular sauce lines made by Hong Kong manufacturers have been cleared from supermarket shelves in Britain after being found to contain high levels of potentially cancer-causing chemicals.
The products, made by Lee Kum Kee and Tung Chun, were among 22 sauces found by Britain's Food Standards Agency to contain high levels of 3-MCPD or 1,3-DCP which are believed to be linked to liver cancer. One product had 100 times the European Commission-designated safety level for 3-MCPD.
However, Lee Kum Kee and Tung Chun last night accused the agency of testing the contents of old bottles manufactured before the products were revamped in the wake of a UK government recommendation in 1999.
The Consumer Council warned yesterday it would conduct an investigation of the SAR's sauces because of widespread concern over their contents.
It is the second time Lee Kum Kee has been taken to task by the British health authorities over sauces containing 3-MCPD. In September 1999, health officials found several sauces contained high levels of the chemical.
The agency said it was 'taking action to ensure the products identified are removed from sale and that consumers do not use them. The chemicals could cause harm to people who use the products with most meals on a daily basis over a long period of time. Occasional consumers are unlikely to be harmed'.
An agency spokeswoman said enforcement officers would identify labels, batch numbers and expiry dates specified in the findings. She said more research would be conducted to check whether the manufacturers' latest products were safe for consumption.