Consumer Council
Consumer Council finds many cooking oils contain cancer causing substances
- 2022-07-19
- Health & Environment
- The Young Reporter
- By: Lokman YuenEdited by: Jenny Lam
- 2022-07-19
Some 60% of commonly used cooking oils in Hong Kong contain chemicals which may pose cancer risk to humans, according to tests conducted by the Consumer Council from Nov. 2021 to Jan. 2022. The results are published in the latest edition of Choice Magazine yesterday (July 18). They show that 47 out of 50 types of oil tested contain at least one type of harmful contaminant, and 29 of them contain carcinogens. They also found that 30 out of 50 samples contain 3-MCPD, and 35 of them contain phthalates. For the 29 that contain carcinogens, two exceeded European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) standard. Of those, SuperFoodLab Coconut Cooking Oil made in Thailand exceeded the standard by 10 percent, and Yu Ping King Pure Peanut Oil manufactured in China contained twice the amount of carcinogen allowed. Two types of oil from mainland brand, Yuwanjia were found to contain harmful chemicals benzo[a]pyrene, which may cause cancer risk when cooked in high heat.Yuwanjia 100% Pure Corn Oil and Yuwanjia 100% Pure Peanut Oil, exceeded EFSA standard by 2.0μg/kg and 0.1μg/kg respectively. Of the 35 types of oil that contained phthalates, only Gallo My first olive oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil was worse than Centre for Food Safety and EFSA standards. “There is no recommended tolerant level (for carcinogens), the advise is: the less you absorb it is better for your health,” Gilly Wong Fung-han, Cheif Executive of Consumer Council said. She added everyone should be mindful of these pollutants as they may cause cancer.
Flat buyers seek help from legislators about changed mortgage conditions
- 2022-07-06
- Society
- By: Lokman YuenEdited by: C.K. Lau
- 2022-07-06
Buyers of The Vertex, a residential estate in Cheung Sha Wan, have sought the help of two legislators to demand the development’s new owner abide by the more generous mortgage package set by its former owner. They say the VMS Group, which purchased the development from the China Evergrande Group last year, should provide them with loans equivalent to 90% of the values of their respective flats, as promised by China Evergrande, instead of lowering the loan cap to 80%. In a letter dated June 15 to the buyers, VMS said the buyers’ deposits would be forfeited if they failed to complete their purchases according to the new terms by yesterday (July 5). A buyer surnamed Chan told the TYR earlier that she had paid HK$400,000 as a deposit and the stamp duty for a HK$7 million unit, and felt helpless about meeting the purchase deadline she would have to top up her deposit after the mortgage cap was lowered. A buyer representative surnamed Lee said about 20 buyers currently faced having their deposits forfeited by VMS. On Monday, the buyers held a meeting with legislators Bill Tang Ka-piu and Doreen Kong Yuk-foon, who agreed to help them pursue their case. Kong said she hoped the government would follow up on whether the developer concerned had breached any rules governing the sale of new flats by asking flat buyers to sign supplementary contracts on mortgage terms and arrangements. She said the Consumer Council had agreed to continue to mediate between the buyers and VMS and the management committee of its Consumer Legal Action Fund (CLAF) would make a decision by early August on whether to provide financial support for the buyers to take legal action to pursue their claim. Yesterday, Tang said the developer may not forfeit the buyers’ deposits …