It tested samples frommost of the common brands available in hypermarkets and supermarkets and found high levels of the banned Sudan I red dye — a suspected carcinogen — in most of them.

Malaysian Association of Standards Users chief executive officer Ratna Devi Nadarajan said century and salted eggs sold to hypermarkets and supermarkets in the Klang Valley by two of the three main companies were found to contain the dye.

Ratna Devi said the Sudan 1 red dye is used to obtain a red or bright orange colour for the yolk.

“The dye is banned in Malaysia and is a suspected carcinogen.
“Other substances such as chilli powder can be used to get the red coloured yolk.” She said century and salted eggs are best sold when the egg yolks are red or orange. “The problem happens when some farmers add colours or dyes to the animal feed so that the yolk of duck and chicken eggs produced have red, orange or darker hues to attract consumer s.” She said the Sudan I dye is banned under the Food Regulations 1985 as it is not listed under Tables I and II of the regulations which prescribe the colouring that can be used in food.

Under international standards, however, the limit for this dye is one parts per million (ppm), or not more than one milligramme per kilogramme of the product tested.

The test results showed there was 30 per cent more dye in the salted eggs manufactured and supplied by one comp a ny than the maxi mumamount stipulated, while the salted and century eggs supplied by another company contained 80 and 210 per cent more dye respectively than the maximum all owe d .

To obtain salted eggs, the eggs are soaked in brine or packed in damp salted charcoal.

For century eggs however, amixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice hulls are used to preserve the egg from several weeks to months, depending on the method of processing, until the eggs change colo u r.

“Chicken eggs are also used but we tested for duck eggs as most homes use duck eggs.” The samples were taken in September 2010 and the results were obtained by the end of the month.

She said the most probable reason why the dye was in the eggs was that the colouring was added to poultry feed.

She added that matters relating to animal husbandry fall under the purview of the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry.

However, if the eggs are sold to the public, then it falls under the jurisdiction of the Health Ministry.

Ratna Devi said the association is stumped as to which ministry it should refer the matter to as she claims it has been given the runaround.

“When we called the Health Ministry, we were informed that animal feed does not fall under its jurisdiction.

“When we called the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry, they kept on passing us around and finally told us to call their poultry division.

“But that was a dead end,” she said.

Does the dye also affect the m e at ? “We don’t know since we did not test the meat.

“But there is a possibility that the meat can also be affected as the dye is attracted to fat.” The association has urged the Health Ministry to revise regulations to make it clearer as the producers may not realise they are committing an offence.

“Tamperingwith food products is dangerous as it affects the health of the consumer.

“The government should take this matter seriously and come up with clearer guidelines for food products such as milk and eggs which are prepared in farms and delivered to consumers via retailers.”