Bahrain has stepped up measures to scrutinize food imports since slamming the door in the face of a shipment of contaminated squid last week, a health official said Saturday.
Two hundred cartons of squid were found to be contaminated with the poisonous element cadmium.
The shipment was confiscated because it contained cadmium levels higher than those accepted in the Gulf.
It was checked as part of a routine inspection of foodstuffs imported into Bahrain.
Rigorous checks are being carried out to ensure dangerous chemical agents are not being used in food, especially fruit and vegetables, the official told the Gulf Daily News.
"Foodstuff entering Bahrain undergoes various tests to ensure it is suitable for consumption," he said.
"Any suspected item undergoes extensive experiments to ensure that it is free from contaminants."
"With vegetables, nobody knows if animal manure or sewage water was used [for irrigation]," he said.
"Consumers should therefore make sure they clean fruits or vegetables carefully before eating them as they may be contaminated with harmful and dangerous microbes and bacteria." – Albawaba.com
