UPDATED: 14:16, November 02, 2005
KFC food in the soup again
Food safety authorities in Guangdong have confirmed that a vegetable
ingredient in KFC soup is poisonous.
According to a warning from the provincial Food Safety Experts
Committee released on Monday, Tianluxiang, which translates as Sweet
Leaf Bush, or Sauropus androgynus, in the KFC soup is toxic and could
be harmful if eaten in large quantities or regularly over a long
period.
The soup was sold in KFCs in Guangzhou, capital of South China's
Guangdong Province, and Tianjin in North China.
The committee drew three conclusions:
Tianluxiang is not suitable to be promoted as an edible vegetable;
People should avoid a long-term and regular consumption of Tianluxiang;
Occasional consumption has not been shown to be poisonous to human
health.
According to recent research by Yang Xian, professor of vegetables from
South China Agricultural University, Tianluxiang contains levels of
cadmium four times higher the national food safety standard.
An overdose could result in damage to the liver, kidneys and
reproductive systems. Yang suggested people should not consume the
vegetable regularly or in large amounts.
Announcement that KFCs soup contains a potentially poisonous element
has caused widespread public concern, coming just a few months after
some KFC foods were found to contain the carcinogenic colouring
Sudan-1.
KFC suspended sales of the soup on Friday. Its headquarters in Shanghai
yesterday declined China Daily's requests for an interview.
Tianluxiang is a popular vegetable among Guangzhou residents . Many are
lured by its reputation of being nutritious and some believe it helps
weight loss.
It is a leafy green perennial vegetable mainly found in Southeast Asia.
It also grows in South China.
Source: China Daily
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