The poisonous dye Sudan IV has been identified in the red yolk of some duck eggs sold in Beijing. These eggs are said to be produced in Baiyangdian, but local officials say they are actually from other places in Hebei Province.
Hebei Baiyangdian Guohua Egg Products Factory, one of the manufacturers of the tainted red yolk eggs, has sold its products in Dayanglu Market in Beijing and 8 Wu-mart stores in Beijing. The Beijing Food Safety Administration and Beijing Municipal Bureau Of Labor and Commerce have immediately carried out temporary market controlling measures by asking the retailers to stop selling red yolk eggs from Hebei and they are planning further investigation in supermarkets and other shopping places.
8 Wu-mart stores have stopped selling these eggs and offered a return policy for their consumers. About 8 kilograms of red yolk eggs have been found in Beijing Dayanglu Market, which have been sent to labs for investigation.
According to some duck feeders, the yolk of real duck eggs from Baiyangdian is saffron yellow, instead of red. However, local media report that investigations in Pingshan and Jingjing counties in Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei province, show ducks are fed a red dye, which makes their yolks red.
