Watchdog removes sauces from cancer-scare blacklist

Britain's food watchdog, whose warnings over cancer-causing chemicals resulted in some Hong Kong-made sauces being cleared from many supermarkets overseas, has now declared two brands safe.

The Food Standards Agency formally recognised Hong Kong manufacturer Lee Kum Kee as complying with safe standards of 3-MCPD or 1,3-DCP, believed to be linked to liver cancer.

It also cleared mainland brand Pearl River Bridge. The companies had accused the agency of testing the contents of old bottles manufactured before the products were reformulated in the wake of a 1999 British government recommendation.

Lee Kum Kee chairman Eddy Lee Wai-man said it had provided the agency with certificates of analysis from accredited and reputable laboratories taken from the company's files over the past 18 months. 'Understandably, due to a general lack of knowledge and facts on this technical issue in the food industry, many of the media reports over the last few weeks did not address the whole story, and resulted in some confusion about certain products,' Mr Lee said.

'We are most pleased the agency recognises our achievements and that it is now taking constructive steps to clarify conclusions made in its initial report.'

A total of 22 sauces and seasoning products from various manufacturers were cleared from supermarket shelves in Britain and banned in Australia, New Zealand and Saudi Arabia.

The European Commission has set a legal limit for 3-MCPD at 0.02mg per kg, which will come into force in April next year.

In September 1999 British health authorities criticised Lee Kum Kee for producing several sauces with high levels of 3-MCPD.