Dangerous levels of arsenic discovered in Vietnamese fish sauce
Vietnamese fish sauce has been discovered to contain dangerously high levels of arsenic, local media reported Tuesday.
A study by the Vietnam Standards and Consumers Association found that 67 per cent of tested samples of the sauce exceeded the maximum safe amount of one milligramme of arsenic per litre, the VN Express news site reported.
Last month Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc ordered quality checks of fish sauce after local media reported on the large amounts of chemicals used by the industry.
Fish sauce, which is used in most Vietnamese dishes, accounts for at least 320 million dollars in sales annually in the south-east Asian nation.
Vietnam consumes an estimated 200 million litres of fish sauce every year.(dpa)
Most read news
Other news from the department business & finance
Get the food & beverage industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the food & beverage sector brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.