Pineapple buns, mooncakes and rice dumplings will be eaten with suspicion or shunned completely in Hong Kong this Mid-Autumn Festival after the so-called “gutter oil scare” continues to unfold.
The Centre for Food and Safety (CFS) is investigating exactly how far the Chang Guann Fragrant Lard Oil – produced from recycled kitchen waste, meat offal from slaughter houses and leather processing plants – has made its way into the Hong Kong food chain.
The scandal first emerged on Sept. 1 after police raided an unlicensed factory in Taiwan. Six people were arrested, including the owner of animal feed company Ching Wei Co, who allegedly used the same gutter oil in his pig feed products. Yuck!
Hong Kong importers Dah Chong Hong, Angliss Hong Kong Food Service, Synergy Foods and Urban Food have been found to have bought oil from Chang Guann.
So far, Maxim’s Cakes has admitted that the product, identified as not fit for human consumption, was used to make their popular pineapple buns. The goods have been recalled and removed from the shelves, and Maxim’s Cakes has given “verbal confirmation” that its mooncakes have not been affected. Hmmm.
The CFS is conducting tests on the mooncakes anyway (phew) and also taking samples of a number of products associated with the four oil importers, including almond strips, bread and cookies. They have reportedly so far found no evidence of tainted oil being used in anything other than Maxim’s pineapple buns.
Today, the Maxim’s Group confirmed that it had been using oil supplied by Urban food to make 9,000 pineapple buns a day for the last three years, reports SCMP. These have been sold in Maxim’s Cakes outlets, 7-Eleven and other shops including Starbucks, Arome Bakery and Café Express at Central MTR – so if you ever eat pineapple buns, there’s really no hope for you.
Meanwhile Taiwan-based Black Bridge Food Group confirmed that the oil was used in 1,100 rice dumplings that were sold in Hong Kong between May 17 and June 30. If it’s not already too late for you (and you have a receipt) Hongkongers can exchange the dumplings (but no refund, of course) at the company’s shops.
Supermarkets Wellcome and ParknShop have also also taken Taiwanese food items, including frozen dumplings and sausages, off their shelves as a precaution.
Scientists have not established any clear links between the oil and health problems, but the production methods, understandably, do not meet standards required for human consumption.
The CFS has urged those using or distributing lard in Hong Kong to stop selling any potentially tainted products and keep an ear out for announcements and updates.
Doesn’t really sound like they’ve got that much of a handle on it. I guess we’ll just keep off the mooncakes. Never liked them that much anyway.
Photo: Calgary Reviews via Flickr
