-Kelly-

A food expert says imported prawns may contain traces of banned antibiotics called nitrofurans that cause cancer. Now the scare has spread to imported honey as the industry battles a local drought. Is your food safe to eat?

It was a bombshell announcement: prawns imported from China may have contained antibiotic compounds called nitrofurans.

These veterinary drugs are banned overseas but Australians could be consuming them.

Professor of Food Science at the University of Western Sydney Dr Geoff Skurray is worried that overseas countries are illegally adding nitrofurans to food such as prawns - then sending it to us

"Only a minute amount of nitrofuran can cause cancer," he said. "We're talking about one part per billion that can cause cancer over a period of time."

The Professor says eating three or four of the contaminated prawns over a period of time could be enough to cause the disease.

"You can't taste this compound, you can't see it but it's a very dangerous compound," he said.

Concerns have now spread from Asian prawns to one of our favourite foods: honey.

Allegations of illegal overseas use of nitrofurans have rocked the honey industry.

At leading honey producer Capilano, manager Roger Masters says no previous link has been drawn between honey and nitrofurans.

Capilano found a contaminated batch while buying honey in Argentina but it seems other countries may be involved.

"And that was honey from a number of countries like China, Mexico, Pakistan, Turkey, Greece and also Argentina," Mr Masters said.

He says he avoided those countries like the plague, even though drought forced his company to find clean honey elsewhere.

"We implemented our own testing program here in Australia to ensure that Capilano honey that was sold was certainly clean and safe for consumers," he said.

But Today Tonight has learned some contaminated honey from Argentina did slip into this country.

The name of the company involved isn't known but Capilano says it's not them - and it's not in their honey.

Shadow Federal Minister for Consumer Health Alan Griffin believes 100 per cent testing of imported goods is the only solution.

"It's very disturbing to find things like this in the food people are eating every day of the week," Mr Griffin said.

"It's not good enough, it's taken 12 months for the regulator to start looking at this seriously after repeated warnings from industry about problems in this field."

Some overseas countries are also using nitrofurans in poultry. Shipments of pork products from those countries have been banned for the same practice.

Professor Skurray says authorities need to crack down on contaminated foods.

"They should be recalled," he said. "It's a danger to human health - all these products should be recalled."

But Seafood Importers chairman Harry Peters says our imported prawns are perfectly safe.

"There are no known records of product with antibiotics coming into Australia," Mr Peters said.

"All I know is that members of our association are importing product which has been tested prior [to] departure ... and those prawns are clean and clear."

Doesn't this make Professor Skurray sound a bit sensationalist?

"No, it's not sensational," the Professor said. "When these compounds are deliberately added and they're not allowed to be added and they can cause cancer, it's disgraceful."


From tt site

I'm glad I don't eat both of them [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

edited
The Honey Story - you need W.M.P to watch it.

[ 12-08-2003: Message edited Crazy_D+J_Fan ]

Enigma, I.C.

I don't think there's anything that can't cause cancer. I'm sure that typing on the keyboard causes cancer somehow.

Katis

I always watch my food cook in the computer. I'm sure I'll have brain cancer.

On another note, freaky about the honey. Even though they say so many things cause cancer it's creepy to read about a specific thing like that.

n e r b l e

well the thought of prawns and honey eaten together also causes nausea.

JohannafromIHJ

Mmmmm... Honey...

Seems like everything from China causes cancer nowadays. The soy, the prawns, the toys...

CaptainBackfire

Bwah! I was going to say something to that effect, but you said it better, so I'll just quote you! [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Katis

Probably should have asked this before...

What in the blazes is a prawn?

Papri

I think Americans call them shrimps.

Timeo

No, prawns are just larger shrimps.

Papri

Prawns...shrimps..same things. Just small sea creatures that look like some kind of alien, but taste damn nice.

wizard87

Haha too true! Nowdays there are so many medical discoveries of cancer-causing substances (or any disease-causing substance for that matter) that you can't believe everything said...so I'll just take it with a pinch of salt and wait to see if there's further proof. Good thing I don't really like prawns or honey. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

dcismyfav

and cause CANCER...

Btw, I believe research can prove that anything in this world can cause Cancer.

trail of dead

Yeah, you can't eat burnt toast or drink tea or eat fruit and vegies either.

Apparently, we're all screwed.

FinleyN1derland

[img]smilies/lol.gif[/img] I was going to say something like that. Why did they have to say those two together anyway?

"In a related story, when eaten together, prawns and honey can cause nausea..." [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

Headhunter

Ugh, never eat seafood or honey anyways...I'll stick with mad cow beef and bleached sugar, thank you. [img]smilies/sigh.gif[/img]