Hanwei Group
Encyclopedia
Hanwei Group is a company based in Dalian
, China
. It is China's biggest producer of eggs
. As of October 2008, it has become embroiled in a scandal
involving traces of melamine
being found in its eggs.
. It is the biggest producer of eggs in China, exporting to Hong Kong
, Macau
, Japan
and Southeast Asia
. Some processed egg products are exported to the United States
.
delegate.
removed Hanwei product "Select Fresh Brown Eggs" from shop shelves. The reason for this was that more than twice the legal limit of the plastic melamine was found in them.Hong Kong widens China food tests, BBC News, 27 October 2008 The eggs contained 4.7 ppm (part per million) of melamine, compared to the government imposed legal limit of 2.5 ppm for melamine in food. It is thought that the eggs became contaminated after the chickens which laid them were fed tainted feed. Melamine is commonly added to food to increase the apparent protein
content. The practice is illegal.
On 29 October 2008, board director Han Wei issued a statement saying that "We feel rather shocked and sorry and would like to shoulder all responsibilities and consequences resulting from the incident." He admitted that no explanation for the delay has been given so far, though melamine had been found in the feed back in September. The company is planning to sue the feed producer.
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. It is China's biggest producer of eggs
Egg (food)
Eggs are laid by females of many different species, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish, and have probably been eaten by mankind for millennia. Bird and reptile eggs consist of a protective eggshell, albumen , and vitellus , contained within various thin membranes...
. As of October 2008, it has become embroiled in a scandal
2008 Chinese milk scandal
The 2008 Chinese milk scandal was a food safety incident in the People's Republic of China, involving milk and infant formula, and other food materials and components, adulterated with melamine....
involving traces of melamine
Melamine
Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogen by mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses....
being found in its eggs.
Overview
Hanwei group specialises in egg-based products and seafoodSeafood
Seafood is any form of marine life regarded as food by humans. Seafoods include fish, molluscs , crustaceans , echinoderms . Edible sea plants, such as some seaweeds and microalgae, are also seafood, and are widely eaten around the world, especially in Asia...
. It is the biggest producer of eggs in China, exporting to Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Some processed egg products are exported to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
History
The company was founded by Han Wei, currently the vice-chairman of Dalian's federation of Industry and Commerce. He is also a notable partyCommunist Party of China
The Communist Party of China , also known as the Chinese Communist Party , is the founding and ruling political party of the People's Republic of China...
delegate.
2008 melamine scandal
On 22 October 2008, authorities in Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
removed Hanwei product "Select Fresh Brown Eggs" from shop shelves. The reason for this was that more than twice the legal limit of the plastic melamine was found in them.Hong Kong widens China food tests, BBC News, 27 October 2008 The eggs contained 4.7 ppm (part per million) of melamine, compared to the government imposed legal limit of 2.5 ppm for melamine in food. It is thought that the eggs became contaminated after the chickens which laid them were fed tainted feed. Melamine is commonly added to food to increase the apparent protein
Protein
Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
content. The practice is illegal.
On 29 October 2008, board director Han Wei issued a statement saying that "We feel rather shocked and sorry and would like to shoulder all responsibilities and consequences resulting from the incident." He admitted that no explanation for the delay has been given so far, though melamine had been found in the feed back in September. The company is planning to sue the feed producer.