Health conscious people in China are frustrated that new food items are continually being added to their beware list as numerous articles in the past several months have revealed an unacceptable number of foods tainted with toxic substances.
Quality testing of pork from a farmer’s market in Hainan Province revealed antibiotic levels exceeding the safety standard. Spicy duck legs and eggs sold in the market contained banned ingredients such as saccharin (benzoic sulfimide) and ofloxacin. Saccharin is an artificial sweetener that can cause liver or kidney damage. Ofloxacin is a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone antibiotic that is banned in China for use in food-animals, including egg-producing hens.
