Blue stains on
vegetables are remnants of undissolved fungicide: NTUC
FairPrice
SINGAPORE: The blue stains found by customers on some vegetables
purchased from NTUC FairPrice are "residual remnants of undissolved
fungicide", a spokesperson for the supermarket chain said on
Thursday (Sep 28).
"All food products sold by FairPrice comply with stringent
regulatory requirements and have been approved for sale by the
authorities. Food safety is of paramount concern to FairPrice and
we have conducted an investigation into this matter," the
spokesperson said.
"Nonetheless, we acknowledge that better care should have been
taken to process the vegetables before they were packed."
The Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) said on Wednesday it
was investigating reports of "blue dots" on some vegetables from
FairPrice.
AVA said that the stains could be due to the use of a copper-based
fungicide, approved to be used in agriculture and easily removed by
washing.
Several people have posted on FairPrice's Facebook page,
complaining about the vegetables.
FairPrice said on Thursday it has made its concerns known to the
supplier of the vegetables and has "taken the necessary actions to
ensure this does not recur".
Customers who bought fresh produce from FairPrice and find the
quality to be unsatisfactory can return the product to the same
store with their receipt before the stated expiry date for a full
refund or exchange, it said.
"While efforts are in place to ensure that the produce are free
from residue, it is good practice for consumers to wash all produce
prior to consumption," the spokesperson added.
Source: CNA/mz