At least 10 people have fallen ill since December after eating dumplings produced by Tianyang Food Processing in China's Hebei province. But the number of victims could be as high as 500.

Investigators also found a tiny hole in a dumpling bag recovered from a sickened family, suggesting the food may have been deliberately contaminated, said Kenichi Mizuno, a police official in Hyogo prefecture, where three people were hospitalized.

Officials said the insecticide - which is not approved for use in Japan but may be in use in other countries - was found in very high concentrations.

A lab test of one of the four leftover dumplings brought in by another sickened family found concentrations of the insecticide methamidophos of 130 parts per million, up to 400 times the limit for residues of the chemical allowed on imported vegetables in Japan, said Co-Op Net, a cooperative that sold the product.

Health Ministry official Rie Hatanaka said the high concentrations suggested the insecticide was not residue from farm use, though she would not speculate on how it ended up on the dumplings.

"Obviously it came from somewhere else," she said.

The contamination, which topped Japanese news reports, prompted many stores and restaurant chains to stop using imported Chinese food altogether, reconsider safety standards and even cut back on business with China.

The dumplings have also become an issue between Japan and China.

"I'm afraid the dumplings could cause a negative impact on our diplomatic ties," said Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura. "We should promptly take measures to determine the cause and prevent a recurrence before relations are damaged."

Those sickened suffered severe abdominal pains, vomiting and diarrhea. A 5-year-old girl fell into a coma but later regained consciousness, and her mother, two brothers and a sister were in serious condition.

Supermarket operators Seiyu Ltd. and Ito-Yokado Co. quickly removed the dumplings and all other products made by Tianyang, while department store Daimaru Inc. removed all food imported from China, the companies said Friday.
Source: By Pravda.ru