Pesticide-laced produce strikes elderly pair

Two more people suffered pesticide poisoning after eating Chinese chrysanthemum from a Park'N Shop outlet, it emerged yesterday.

Two women, aged 72 and 82, were taken to Queen Mary Hospital at the weekend after consuming Chinese chrysanthemum bought from a Park'N Shop store in Ap Lei Chau.

One was treated and discharged but the 82-year-old remained in hospital and was in a stable condition last night.

The latest incident bought to 10 the number of people who have fallen ill after eating vegetables tainted with pesticide.

The Department of Health said yesterday it had traced pesticide-tainted sugar pea shoots - dao miu - also bought from Park'N Shop, to a Guangdong farm.

Park'N Shop said as a precautionary step it had withdrawn all Chinese vegetables imported from the supplier.

A 32-year-old Japanese woman fell ill on Friday after eating chrysanthemum from a Park'N Shop store in Central.

Food inspectors had found traces of the pesticide methamidophos in samples of sugar pea shoots from Park'N Shop outlets but those of Chinese chrysanthemum were cleared.