Hong Kong importers pull tainted hairy crabs

Importers of hairy crabs in Hong Kong recalled produce from two aquaculture farms in Jiangsu province on Wednesday, as excessive levels of chemicals linked to cancer were found in samples.

But some importers refused to suspend sales, claiming that they source their crabs from other farms and the two concerned farms only handle import paperwork for them.

Two samples of hairy crabs, imported from Wujiang Wanqing Taihu Crab Breeding Co and Jiangsu Taihu Aquatic Product Co, were found to contain 11.7 picograms and 40.3 picograms per gram of dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls respectively. The toxic chemical compounds can lead to reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones and cause cancer.