Hong Kong's food safety officials recently detected traces of nitrofurans metabolite - a potentially harmful substance in food - in canned meat from the Shanghai Maling Aquarius Company. On 6 December the Shanghai entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau suspended exports of all the company's food products, including canned meat, seafood, fruits and vegetables. The bureau also ordered all of its canned meat products to be removed from retail outlets.

Zhang Guanghui, deputy director of the bureau, said a dozen batches of the low-sodium canned pork made by the Shanghai firm were examined by the bureau.

"Only samples from the batch that was manufactured in December 2006 and exported to Hong Kong were found to contain the substance," he said.

No other details about nitrofurans metabolite or where they came from have been issued and all other batches of canned meat were found to be safe.

"If everything goes smoothly, we will resume exports soon," he added.

State quality supervisors have acknowledged these findings, and has said the matter has been resolved. Safety standards are now in place and shipment may continue.

Asked about reports of similar findings in Singapore, Zhang said his bureau had not received any details from the city-state.

Zhang said authorities in Shanghai had this year stepped up efforts to ensure food safety. As of the end of last month, all manufacturing and retail bases for agricultural products had been incorporated within the quality supervision system and all food manufacturers have applied for permits, he said.

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