CHINA: BRITAIN'S FOOD WATCHDOG WARNS THAT SOME OF LEE KUM KEE'S SOY SAUCES MAY CONTAINS CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS

Record ID: 208297

  • Title: CHINA: BRITAIN'S FOOD WATCHDOG WARNS THAT SOME OF LEE KUM KEE'S SOY SAUCES MAY CONTAINS CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS
  • Date: 22nd June 2001
  • Summary: (U3) BEIJING, CHINA (JUNE 22, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LAS INTERIOR SUPERMARKET 0.05 2. CU/LAS/PAN LEE KUM KEE BRAND SAUCES (INCLUDING ONE OF THE BRANDS WHICH BRITAINS' FOOD WATCHDOG SAID MAY CONTAIN HIGH LEVELS OF CANCER-CAUSING CHEMICALS, A CHARGE REJECTED BY LEE KUM KEE) /PEOPLE IN SUPERMARKET/MORE OF LEE KUM KEE BRAND PRODUCTS (4 SHOTS) 0.25 3. CU/SV CHEF COOKING/USING SOY SAUCE/CHEF COOKING (2 SHOTS) 0.37 4. MCU (Mandarin) CHEF CHANG QIO RENG SAYING: "Almost every Chinese dish needs soy sauce, for example,in spicy stir-fried chicken it adds colour, taste and freshness." 0.51 5. CU/MCU DISH COOKED WITH SOY SAUCE/PEOPLE EATING (2 SHOTS) 1.02 6. MCU (Mandarin) LI YI, SALES MANAGER, SAYING: "I have eaten soy sauce all my life, so have my grandparents. Nobody's ever gotten cancer because of it. Foreigners always say their food is healthy while Eastern food is unhealthy - that's not true, lots of Chinese eat soy sauce all the time and don't have any problems." 1.19 7. CU/SV WEB SITE OF BRITISH FOOD SAFETY AUTHORITY SHOWING THE BRANDS WHICH IT SAYS MAY CONTAIN HARMFUL CHEMICALS (2 SHOTS) 1.31 8. MCU (Mandarin) DENG GUOQING, BANKER, SAYING: "I don't care about these rumours, I will carry on eating soy sauce."/CU OF DISH (3 SHOTS) 1.45 BEIJING, CHINA (FILE) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 9. SV/CU CHEFS IN KITCHEN COOKING (2 SHOTS) 1.51 10. SV PEOPLE SITTING DOWN FOR MEAL/TOASTING 1.55 11. CU/TV FISH ON PLATE/FOOD ON SPINNING TABLE (2 SHOTS) 2.09 (U4) HONG KONG, CHINA (JUNE 22, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 12. SV OF RECEPTION AT LEE KUM KEE PLANT 2.14 13. SLV OF NEWS CONFERENCE 2.21 14. MCU (English) EDDY LEE, CHAIRMAN OF LEE KUM KEE, SAYING: "Those studies are done with animals but not in humans. Now for example, a lot of people, a lot of Chinese people have not been eating soy sauce for only a few years - they have been taking this product for thousands of years already. It's all safe. Of course, we must continuously improve the products. That's what a normal food company would do. I don't see there's any danger." 2.58 15. SV JOURNALISTS 3.03 16. MCU (English) LEE SAYING: "I believe our loyal consumers will continuously trust our products . We have a very long heritage producing these different Asian sauces and I believe our consumers stand on our side and believe in what we're doing. Products being consumed by many people, not by one generation, but many generations." 3.35 17. SV/CU VARIOUS OF LEE KUM KEE LABORATORY (4 SHOTS) 4.03 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BEIJING & HONG KONG, CHINA
  • Country: China
  • Reuters ID: LVA51K5XCOZKM5EKZMJW4EI2OU5V
  • Story Text: Hong Kong soy sauce maker Lee Kum Kee has hit out at
    warning's by Britain's food watchdog that some of its sauces
    may contain high levels of cancer-causing chemicals. Makers of
    Lee Kum Kee say all their products are safe. The world's
    biggest consumer of soy sauce - China - seems largely unmoved
    by the controversy.



    In supermarkets in Beijing on Friday (June 22), bottles
    of soy sauce remained firmly on the shelves - including brands
    which Britain's food watchdog says are unsafe.

    British health officers on Thursday (June 21) began
    removing 22 brands of soy sauce across the country after a
    warning from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that they
    contained 3-MCPD - a chemical that can cause cancer if taken
    daily.

    Among the brands identified was Lee Kum Kee soy sauce - a
    Hong Kong brand.

    But the Hong Kong soy sauce maker hit out at the warnings,
    saying its products were safe.

    The British report has triggered unease and on Friday New
    Zealand and Australia warned against the consumption of soy
    sauce.

    But in Beijing, cooks and consumers alike said the uproar
    did not bother them.

    Chef Chang Qio Reng said soy sauce was a vital part of
    Chinese cooking and that he would continue to use the product.

    "Almost every Chinese dish needs soy sauce, for example,
    in spicy stir-fried chicken it adds colour, taste and
    freshness," said Chang.

    As for consumers, many saw the warning as just another
    example of Western imperialism.

    As sales manager Li Yi settled down for lunch, he
    dismissed fears about the safety of soy sauce:
    "I have eaten soy sauce all my life, so have my
    grandparents. Nobody's ever gotten cancer because of it.

    Foreigners always say their food is healthy while Eastern food
    is unhealthy - that's not true, lots of Chinese eat soy sauce
    all the time and don't have any problems."
    The Chinese government has yet to react, but the Hong
    Kong government said in a statement that it has advised the
    local food industry all along to reduce levels of 3-MCPD to as
    low as is technologically possible.

    There are fears that the scare could affect the Chinese
    food industry worldwide.

    But in Beijing, food lovers said that in spite of the
    reports, they would not be holding back on the soy sauce.

    Banker Deng Guoqing said: "I don't care about these
    rumours, I will carry on eating soy sauce."
    At a news conference in Hong Kong on Friday (June 22),
    makers of Lee Kum Kee criticised the the warning issued by
    Britain's Food Standards Agency.

    "Those studies are done with animals but not in humans.

    Now for example, a lot of people, a lot of Chinese people have
    not been eating soy sauce for only a few years - they have
    been taking this product for thousands of years already. It's
    all safe. Of course, we must continuously improve the
    products. That's what a normal food company would do. I don't
    see there's any danger," said Eddy Lee, chairman of Lee Kum
    Kee.

    The company is Hong Kong's best known soy sauce maker.

    Ten percent of its products are exported to Europe.

    Its biggest two supermarket chains Park'N Shop and
    Wellcome had no immediate plans to drop
    the label.

    1,3-DCP can be formed during the manufacture of
    acid-hydrolyzed vegetable protein, a widely used
    seasoning ingredient.

    1,3-DCP is formed from its precursor 3-MCPD, Lee Kum Kee
    said, citing scientific reports.

    The Hong Kong government said in a statement that it has
    advised the local food industry all along to reduce levels of
    3-MCPD to as low as possible.

    Lee believes that in the end, consumers will stand by
    their trusted products.

    "I believe our loyal consumers will continuously trust our
    products . We have a very long heritage producing these
    different Asian sauces and I believe our consumers stand on
    our side and believe in what we're doing. Products being
    consumed by many people, not by one generation, but many
    generations," said Lee.

    The British Food Standards Agency report warned caterers
    against using the 22 products but said there was no reason to
    boycott Chinese or oriental food.


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