No major cases since poisonous dumplings' recall

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-01-25 13:10

SHIJIAZHUANG -- No serious food poisoning cases have ever been reported after employees of some Chinese companies who ate frozen dumplings recalled by a company from Japan early last year, company sources and officials said Saturday.

Media groups from Japan paid a visit to Tianyang Food plant February 15, 2008. In January last year, Japanese media reported that 10 people fell ill after consuming frozen meat dumplings produced by Tianyang Food Plant based in Hebei Province. [Xinhua]

After investigation, a worker with Chengde Iron and Steel Company showed discomfort after eating dumplings delivered by the company but this man did not go to a hospital for diagnosis and was Ok after a rest, said Zhang Jinying, a Hebei Provincial State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

Japan's Kyodo News reported Saturday that the frozen dumplings, recalled after food poisoning cases involving them in Japan, were delivered to a steelmaker in Hebei Province and some employees showed symptoms of food poisoning.

"Our company has never had food poisoning cases in connection with staff's eating of the dumplings made by Tianyang Food Plant," Yu Yong, general manger of Tangshan Iron and Steel Company in Hebei, told Xinhua Saturday.

Some 20 companies in Hebei bought Tianyang Food's dumplings in April last year, after Tianyang Food recalled all its dumplings exported to Japan in the wake of a poisoning accident.

In January last year, Japanese media reported that 10 people fell ill after consuming frozen meat dumplings produced by Tianyang Food Plant based in Hebei Province.

Japanese authorities found methamidophos in the vomit of those poisoned and in food packages at their houses. But sample tests by China quality watchdog showed that the rest of the same batch of dumplings and other batches made at about the same time by the Chinese company were safe, as were the raw materials used in production.

Zhang said Tianyang Food had been suspending production since February last year.