2006年是國內食品衛生安全不尋常的一年，特別是下半年，幾起大事件接踵而至。回顧一年，不論是對農產品的立法與實施，還是對今天的“3.15國際消費者權益日”都具有現實意義。食品衛生“安全”回顧——北京福壽螺引發食源性疾病、上海瘦肉精中毒事件、蘇丹紅紅心鴨蛋事件、多寶魚致癌風波。

Slimy snails

Between June and August, 87 people fell ill after eating half-cooked snails in a Beijing restaurant. Tests carried out showed they had a type of angiostrongyliasis infection, in whichparasitesthat attack the brain and thespinal cordthat can lead to meningitis. On August 8, the authorities ordered the restaurant to stop selling the dish.

Meat menace

In mid-September, meat in some Shanghai markets was found to contain clenobuterol hydrochloride, a chemical added to pigs'fodderto get "leaner quality meat". In humans, the additive can cause vertigo and nausea, and a patient could slip into a coma and even die. Hence, it's strictly banned from being used in food products.

More than 300 people suffered clenobuterol hydrochloride poisoning. The Ministry of Agriculture swung into action and conducted thorough checks the markets and banned the sale of contaminated pork.

Edgy eggs

Mid-November: farmers and poultry owners in some parts of Hebei Province fedred sudan dyeto their ducks to make them lay eggs with redyolks. The reason: eggs with red yolks fetch a higher price than those with regular yellow yolks. But red sudan dye is carcinogenic. Major cities soon banned the sale of such eggs. On November 27, the Ministry of Agriculture declared that all the red-yolk eggs and the ducks that had been fed with the cancer-causing dye had been destroyed.

Fish fear

At the end of November, Shanghai authorities found excessive cancer-causingchemical residues(nitrofuran and chloromycetin) in 30 samples of turbot, a flat fish served at banquets andupscale restaurants. The sale of the fish was banned later. Some farmers reportedly fed the fish large quantities of medicinal supplements, which had left harmful, cancer-causing residues, to raise their immunity to disease.

（China Daily） 

Vocabulary:    

parasite：寄生蟲（文中指“廣州管圓線蟲Ⅲ期幼蟲”）

spinal cord: 脊髓

meningitis：腦膜炎

leaner quality meat: 一級瘦肉

yolk: 蛋黃

chemical residues: 化學殘留物

upscale restaurants: 高檔賓館

（英語點津陳蓓編輯）