According to York Chow, secretary for the Food and Health Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, because one batch of eggs imported from the Chinese mainland was found to contain melamine it was decided to implement overall tests on eggs imported from the mainland and further extend the test range to meat and animal offal products from the mainland.

Chow said at a press conference that by October 25, 2008, the Hong Kong government had tested 12 kinds of eggs imported from the mainland. One kind was found contain melamine and the sales of this product has been suspended.

He said Hong Kong consumed about 1.6 billion eggs every year and about 60% of these eggs were imported from the Chinese mainland. Therefore, they decided to test all eggs from the mainland in the next week and further extend the test range to meat and animal offal products from the mainland.

The tainted products are eggs sold under the brand name of Select, which are produced by Dalian Hanwei Enterprise Group, Liaoning Province.

Chemical experts said the source of melamine may be the feed for the chickens. When the chickens eat the feed contaminated with melamine, the chemical will stay in the bodies of the chickens and even gather in the eggs.

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