Guangdong to crack down on tainted rice  

广东省政府部署严查入粤重金属镉超标大米

广东南方日报27日报道称，2009年有一批来自湖南省的重金属镉超标大米流入广东市场，该消息一出在社会上引起轩然大波。广东省政府有关部门当日迅即举行会议，研究处置办法，以确保市场粮食安全。

Guangzhou (CNS) -- Guangdong's provincial government will initiate a special campaign to crack down on cadmium-tainted rice in the province, the local government said Wednesday.

More than 10,000 tons of cadmium-tainted rice is believed to have entered markets in Guangdong province since 2009, from suppliers in Hunan province, according to a Nanfang Daily report.

Shenzhen Cereals Group, a state-owned enterprise for grain reserves and a major rice supplier in Guangdong, bought the rice in 2009 from branches of China Grain Reserves Corp in Hunan province, the report said.

Samples of the rice that Shenzhen Cereals subsequently sent to food quality supervision authorities in Shenzhen showed that the rice had excessive cadmium.

The company recalled the tainted rice, but some of it was resold to Foshan, Guangdong province, the report said.

Immediately after noticing the report, the Guangdong provincial government held a meeting on Wednesday, urging related departments to tighten their inspection on rice entering the province.

An improved monitoring system will also be established to ensure food safety in the region.

Any departments involved in the purchasing of tainted rice in Guangdong will be held accountable, according to the government.

Medical experts have warned that continued exposure to cadmium over a long time may lead to cancer.