Authorities in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, yesterday confirmed fish sold at a local wet market were contaminated with a high level of formaldehyde.

Some vendors and dealers had illegally used formaldehyde to preserve whitebait, Wuxi agriculture and forestry bureau said yesterday in a statement.

Whitebait is famous for its delicious taste and as a renowned catch of the Taihu Lake area.

The bureau also said the government had already launched a citywide inspection of aquatic products to ensure food safety.

Whitebait fish found with formaldehyde will be destroyed, it said.

Once soaked in formaldehyde, whitebait becomes rubbery and hard to chew as well as a threat to the health of people.

A resident surnamed Huang who works at a telecommunications company in the city said he was wondering why the whitebait he bought a few days ago had tasted like rubber.

Little did he know they were contaminated, he said.

So far he has not reported any adverse symptoms.

Suzhou, a neighboring city, was reported to have also found contaminated fish.

But when contacted by China Daily, the publicity department of the city said they had not heard anything about it.

Formaldehyde is banned from food production under the food hygiene law.

Meanwhile, produce sold at wet markets continued to undergo safety tests.

Latest figures from the Wuxi food safety website showed that 86.6 percent of aquatic products were deemed safe and qualified last month.

But inspections are expected to be stepped up in the wake of the latest scandal.

The incident follows the baby milk powder scandal that sickened more than 54,000 children nationwide, according to recent figures from the Ministry of Health.

Yin Huidan, another resident living in Binhu district in Wuxi, said she also bought whitebait fish last week but noticed nothing different.

But she worries about a repeat incident.

"It's better to be on the safe side. I think I will stop eating whitebait fish from now on," said the 26-year-old.

(China Daily October 15, 2008)