Long wait for word on soy sauce

By MONIQUE DEVEREUX health reporter

One of the Asian sauces identified in the soy sauce cancer scare was said to have high levels of a potentially cancer-causing chemical two years ago, but was not pulled from shop shelves until yesterday.

Panda Oyster Sauce was tested by the Ministry of Health in 1999 after a British study claimed that it was one of several to contain high levels of the chemical 3-McPD.

At the time no further action was taken by the ministry because it was "waiting for more information."

But on Thursday the ministry warned the public to avoid the products until investigations into the chemical levels could be made.

Yesterday, hundreds of bottles of the sauce, made by Lee Kum Kee, were voluntarily removed from New Zealand shop shelves, along with Pearl River Bridge and Sin Sin brands.

Similar action was taken in Britain in response to a second survey by its Food Standards Agency.

The new survey found 22 out of 100 soy sauce products had levels of 3-MCPD that well exceeded a limit to be introduced in Europe next April.

Two-thirds of the sauces in the British study also contained another potentially cancer-causing chemical, 1,3-DCP, which is a derivative of 3-MCPD and a known genotoxic carcinogen in animals.

The chemical 3-MCPD has been found to cause cancer in laboratory animals fed large amounts over their lifetime.

Europe's Scientific Committee for Food has proposed a provisional level of 0.002 mg/kg bodyweight/day as the amount of 3-MCPD which can be taken daily over a lifetime without harm to health.

Independent British experts say it is possible to set safe consumption levels for 3-MCPD because it does not directly affect genetic material.

But the Food Standards Agency warns that 1,3-DCP is harmful to genetic material.

It can cause cancer which, if it occurs in reproductive cells, will be passed on to children.

The greater the consumption of the chemical, the higher the risk. The agency says that since 1,3-DCP is thought to damage genetic material directly it is not possible to establish a safe level of consumption.

It advises consumers not to eat any soy sauces identified by the survey as containing 1,3-DCP.

Last night, the Australia New Zealand Food Authority proposed an amendment to the Food Standards Code to set a limit for the amount of 3-MCPD acceptable in soy sauces, matching the level to be introduced in Europe next year.

Australian border controls have also been set up to inspect soy and oyster sauce products as they arrive in Australia.

Those exceeding the limit will be rejected.

Meanwhile, the companies that supply New Zealand with the sauces in question have said their products are safe.

Lee Kum Kee said on its website that procedures had changed since 1999 and its products were made in full compliance with regulatory standards.

Jay Patel, of Ashon Ventures, which imports Sin Sin Oyster Sauce, sent copies of documents that showed the sauces were below the acceptable 3-MCPD levels.

Kerry McGown, managing director of Davis Trading, which imports Pearl River Bridge sauces, plans to have them tested but does not believe the safety risk is serious.

"A fair bit of hysteria gets whipped up ... but I wouldn't imagine if you have a bit of soy sauce on your fried rice tonight it will affect your health in any way.

"What we are doing as a precaution is withdrawing all soy products from our shelves, and advising our customers to do the same, till the situation is clarified."

He said Asian restaurants might suffer a downturn in business because of the warning.