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Half of cooked meat tested substandard

Only 48 percent of the cooked meat at nine supermarkets and stores in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, passed a quality test earlier this year, the city's administration of industry and commerce reported on Tuesday.

The 50 samples in the test, including roast duck, goose, pork and ribs, came from 12 producers.

None of the 10 samples at the two stores in Yuexiu district passed the test.

Supermarkets fared better than the stores in the test.

All three producers from outside Guangzhou passed the test, with 44 percent of those from Guangzhou failing, which can be attributed to the fact that the Guangzhou-made products were mostly unpacked with a shorter shelf life.

The 26 samples failing the test, all unpacked, were found to contain excessive bacteria and artificial coloring agents, the administration said.

For example, samples of roast chicken drumsticks and black pepper roast chicken sold at a Trust-Mart supermarket in Baiyun district, produced in January, were found to have excessive bacteria. Five products, including roast pork, roast duck and salted chicken produced by Guangzhou Zuijia Food Co in Baiyun district, were found to have excessive coliform bacteria.

The excessive bacteria may have resulted from dirty production equipment, poor material quality, production environment and staff hygiene, and inadequate storage.

Seven samples, including chicken and chicken feet products sold at Zhongxing shopping mall in Panyu district, contained excessive tartrazine, and one sample contained sunset yellow. The artificial coloring agents, which cost less than the natural ones, were used to enhance the look of the products.