Additive Problems in Lime-preserved Eggs

　　A new round of food safety checks is underway in China after reports emerged suggesting a number of egg-processing plants have been using potentially-toxic¹ copper² sulphate to help pickle³ lime-preserved duck eggs.

 

　　CRI's Li Dong has more details.

 

　　Generally, preserved eggs, a pungent⁴ appetizer⁵ usually served with pickled ginger⁶ or cooked in congee⁷, become edible⁸ after duck eggs are preserved using an alkali, salt and clay mixture for some two months.

 

　　But with copper sulfate, the preservation⁹ stage will be halved¹⁰. There are altogether more than 2,000 enterprises nationwide which produce thousand-year eggs.

 

　　This is a mature business, but Ma Meihu, deputy director of the Chinese Association of Animal Product Processing says the national standard for preserved eggs was created a long time ago and simply cannot keep up with today's market and technology.

 

　　"The current national standard was issued in 1988. That's more than 20 years ago. Plus, with the upgrading of the egg processing technique, it's necessary to make a new national standard to examine the manufacturing process."

 

　　Food grade copper sulphate can substitute lead oxide¹¹ which is widely used in traditional preserved egg processing, creating lead frees final products. But some experts say the enterprises should use proved food grade additives¹² rather than industrial grade additives, which pose uncertain risks.

 

　　Assistant researcher at the China National Center for Food Safety Risk Assessment¹³ Zhong Kai says examining only the final food products is not the best option for reducing the risks of food safety.

 

　　He adds that the focus of food inspections¹⁵ should be on the processing procedure rather than the final product.

 

　　"Inspection¹⁴ of the manufacturing process should be the core of food safety management. I agree with other experts when they claim that good food products are not the result of inspection processes but rather manufacturing. If all sections of the food manufacturing processes are under supervision¹⁶, the risk to food safety will be minimal¹⁷."

 

　　China has seen multiple food safety scandals in recent years.

 

　　Recent scandals involving adulterated mutton, lime-preserved eggs processed with copper sulphate, and ginger grown with highly toxic pesticides¹⁸, have aggravated¹⁹ public concerns over food safety.

 

　　For CRI, I am Li Dong.

1 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

2 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

3 pickle   

n.腌汁，泡菜；v.腌，泡

参考例句：

• Mother used to pickle onions.妈妈过去常腌制洋葱。
• Meat can be preserved in pickle.肉可以保存在卤水里。

4 pungent   

adj.（气味、味道）刺激性的，辛辣的；尖锐的

参考例句：

• The article is written in a pungent style.文章写得泼辣。
• Its pungent smell can choke terrorists and force them out of their hideouts.它的刺激性气味会令恐怖分子窒息，迫使他们从藏身地点逃脱出来。

5 appetizer   

n.小吃，开胃品

参考例句：

• We served some crackers and cheese as an appetizer.我们上了些饼干和奶酪作为开胃品。
• I would like a cucumber salad for an appetizer.我要一份黄瓜沙拉作开胃菜。

6 ginger   

n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气

参考例句：

• There is no ginger in the young man.这个年轻人没有精神。
• Ginger shall be hot in the mouth.生姜吃到嘴里总是辣的。

7 congee   

vi.告别，鞠躬；n.稀饭

参考例句：

• He has congeed with the King.他已经跟国王告别过了。
• I'll have two spring rolls and a portion of congee.我要两个春卷和一份广式肉粥。

8 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

9 preservation   

n.保护，维护，保存，保留，保持

参考例句：

• The police are responsible for the preservation of law and order.警察负责维持法律与秩序。
• The picture is in an excellent state of preservation.这幅画保存得极为完好。

10 halved   

v.把…分成两半( halve的过去式和过去分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• The shares have halved in value . 股价已经跌了一半。
• Overall operating profits halved to $24 million. 总的营业利润减少了一半，降至2，400 万元。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 oxide   

n.氧化物

参考例句：

• Oxide is usually seen in our daily life.在我们的日常生活中氧化物很常见。
• How can you get rid of this oxide coating?你们该怎样除去这些氧化皮？

12 additives   

n.添加剂( additive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• chemical additives in petrol 汽油中的化学添加剂
• It'says on the packet that these crisps contain no additives. 包装上说这些炸薯片不含添加剂。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

14 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

15 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 supervision   

n.监督，管理

参考例句：

• The work was done under my supervision.这项工作是在我的监督之下完成的。
• The old man's will was executed under the personal supervision of the lawyer.老人的遗嘱是在律师的亲自监督下执行的。

17 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

18 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。